Questions before becoming Snuser - then trying to become one

[lxskllr]

I didn't start with the goal of quitting smoking, so I guess it was easy for me. I picked up my first snus as a one off event, and didn't even really consider using it regularly. I found that I enjoyed the snus, and noticed a secondary benefit of smoking less. I didn't want to trade one bad habit for another, but after reading up on snus, I came to the conclusion that snus was a much better way to go than cigarettes.

I started with snus around August last year, and I've gradually smoked less and less as time went on. I now smoke about 2 cigarettes per day when I have tobacco, but it's not something I worry about getting anymore. If I have it, great, if not, great too. I'm at the point where I can take cigarettes or leave them.

I've liked almost all of the snus I've had, although some took a bit of time to love. I also haven't had any problems with mouth feel or anything, but I'm male, so I may have a bigger mouth(shh!! :^P). I've experimented with oral tobacco most of my life, so the technique wasn't completely foreign to me, and that may have some influence also.

Don't stress not falling in love with snus right away. Just take it easy, and try some different brands to see what's agreeable to you. You said you didn't have to smoke as much as you normally did. From an economic standpoint, you could throw away the snus you don't like and still be ahead of the game, with the cost savings from not smoking tobacco.

You don't have to quit smoking tomorrow. Take it one day at a time, and try to concentrate on what you like about snus, and get yourself as enthused about snus as you are about smoking.

[asvm]

Thanks very much, lxskllr, for your good words of inspiration. You've cheered me up. I've probably been putting too much pressure on myself to get on snus and get off cigarettes.

Yes, I'll take it one day at a time.

I've been looking around the forum and reading about other people's stories and getting inspiration from that as well.

So, I'll plod on and just see how it goes!

Cheers!

[Zero]

Aye, for some it's an instant love affair, for others it's something that becomes more of an acquired taste (which leads into a love affair :lol: ). In any case, I'd say keep sampling and eventually, I think, you'll come across "your" brand. Snus isn't really like cigarettes where they're all, essentially, more or less alike - there really are large differences between all the different varieties and many off them are love-or-hate sort of flavours, and very much a matter of personal taste. You've got everything from a Lagavulin 16 to Jägermeister to Cherry Brandy - and everything in between...figuratively speaking. Don't push yourself too hard to quit, take it one day at a time, and enjoy exploring the world of snus. You may find that quitting just happens as a byproduct. 8)

[asvm]

Well, if nothing else, snus has allowed me to stumble into a pretty cool forum on which, it seems, a wide variety of topics - or interesting nonsense- is discussed, but in a sensible fashion.

So it's nice to spend a bit of time here, whether I snus or smoke. And the people are nice too.

[Mariner]

Glad you are sticking with it, despite following the misguided General recommendation.

I guess the 'omg I have a huuuge bulging lip' feeling will lessen a bit over time, and it will definitely become less of a big deal. I was very self-conscious about that at first too, but now it doesn't bother me much. Then again, I am a bit of a neanderthal, and therefore allowed to have my face all twisty and bulging in strange places. Anyway, the Lip is probably outweighed by the massive ridge at the bottom of my sloping forehead keeping my eyes in shadow and away from irritable sabretooths. :wink:

I ultimately have issues with most portions, actually. As long as I manage to keep my upper lip in a zen-like state, the sensation and taste is very pleasant, and the originals usually work very well for me in giving that nice burn and instant kick. As soon as the juices start running in a big way, the bag needs to go. Never have issues like that with any of the loose I've tried.

Good luck with your search.

[Jason]

It just takes a little time to get used to, that's all. I almost gave up a few days in because the difference in nicotine delivery was just too strange for me. I would put in a portion, get ancy after 15-20 minutes, spit it out and light up. :wink:

After about a week or so, I was off the smokes altogether...never to go back.

[asvm]

Yeh, I've been feeling like giving up as well and thinking this is not for me and I'm not going to be a fan of snus like you folks are, what with the bulges and trying to get the nicotine in such a different way to smoking.

But the only other alternative is to smoke, or give up nicotine/smoking. For my own sake I need to give up the smokes.

It remind me of when I went back to college a few years ago and, amongst other subjects, I decided to do an English course. I learned that we would be studying Shakespeare and I thought, oh no, why is Shakespeare always studied, what's the big deal with him anyway that a lot of folks are into him so much. So I was not looking forward to having to study him.

However, I thought, but maybe if I give it a go and give it my best shot to try to understand why there's so much interest in his work. So that's what I did - I gave it my all. And what a difference. I came to understand why people thought he was so great - and I came to discover for myself why he is so well regarded. I even further studied Hamlet by myself after the course finished.

I'm definitely not one of the ones who has fallen for snus straight off, but I'll give it my best shot if I can. At least for this batch of cans I've got - might as well since I've got them. You all seem to think very highly of snus, so I'll try my best to understand why, just like I did with Shakespeare.

Any more stories from anybody who found snus difficult to get into at first? For all I know, perhaps a lot of people did give snus a go, found they didn't like it and gave up with it. Maybe I'll be one of these. Or maybe I'll take to it eventually. After all, most of you here smoked a lot and for a long time. So you'd be well and truly into smoking, like I am. Yet you all got into snus in the end...

[darkwing]

ASVM, I started off quite disappointed too. I had done my research, found out where to order from, and was excited to get my first shipment. I hated the stuff. Soapy, unpleasant taste, leaking juice, they slipped and slid all over my mouth. I realized, after a few days of hanging around this forum, that different snus have different tastes and qualities. Two key pieces of advice that got me to persist and end up a full-time happy snuser: 1. Fold your full-size portion lengthwise and stick it into place. Then it stays there and doesn't bulge or slid over your teeth. 2. When the portion is in place, LEAVE IT ALONE. Tightening your lip, squeezing it around just makes it start releasing juice. As for the soapy taste and the burning saltiness, those become pleasant after a while, and are comparable to the burn of smoking a cigarette. As for the nicotine release, after a short while you realize that there is indeed a flow of nicotine from the snus, it is just not a tidal wave, more of a series of gently lapping waves.

[asvm]

Thanks for that, darkwing. It helps to know that the juice is not a good thing. I was trying to make it juicy thinking that was how to make it do its thing, then thinking this is not nice but I'll have to try and get used to it. I'd swallow the juice thinking that's how I get the nicotine. After a while of this, I'd pull the thing out my mouth then have to take spoonfuls of honey and lots of water to get rid of the taste.

So I'll now do as you say and just leave it there without fiddling with it. Yes, I did notice the slight burning which I thought was ok.

If I keep at this (and do it properly), I guess I'll get to find out which flavours I prefer. So far, it's all not so good, but it hasn't helped my doing it wrong. Plus, perhaps I might keep them in too long.

Thanks for advice, and it helps to know that I'm not alone as a new user who thinks it's not as good as I thought it was going to be. Guess it's a matter of trial and error and perseverance till hopefully I might become a fan as well in the end.

[Anti]

I hadn't smoked for many years, or ever dipped, before trying snus. I saw the Camel display at a gas station, and looked up what "snus" was.

I was interested, tried some, and thought it was pretty good. I got a small buzz from the nicotine because my body wasn't used to it. Then I heard about buysnus.com from another site, and made an order.

The snus pouches were twice the size of the Camel, and felt really weird. It took me a few weeks to get into it completely, and it's all history after that. I found this board shortly after that, and got all kinds of brand insights, tips, and so on.

I would just say integrate it with the smoking and see what happens. If a few weeks go by, and you just can't get into it, then maybe it just isn't for you. I let a dip user at work try some of my snus, and he hated within minutes of trying it. It's sad to type that, because I can't imagine hating it!

[asvm]

I would just say integrate it with the smoking and see what happens. If a few weeks go by, and you just can't get into it, then maybe it just isn't for you. I let a dip user at work try some of my snus, and he hated within minutes of trying it. It's sad to type that, because I can't imagine hating it!

That's sound advice which I'll take. Interesting also to know that, even though you were ok about the camel snus, it still took you weeks to get used to the Swedish snus, which you now love.

I feel a lot more positive and hopeful now, and shall keep at it.

Cheers

[Anti]

That's sound advice which I'll take. Interesting also to know that, even though you were ok about the camel snus, it still took you weeks to get used to the Swedish snus, which you now love.

The Camel had more of an American tobacco taste that I was familiar with, so it wasn't a huge leap.

The Swedish snus has a more foreign taste mixed with citrus and salt, plus the size is bigger.

[darkwing]

You shouldn't be getting juice from a portion. If you do, it will overwhelm you, so get rid of it.

[asvm]

Yeh, darkwing, I realise I went wrong there. I'll start anew tomorrow.

Thanks for helpful advice and tips. It's harder than I thought to change a long-standing fixed habit to something completely different.

Cheers

[lxskllr]

The Camel had more of an American tobacco taste...

You could taste tobacco in there? Camel's snus was just like candy to me. If it weren't for the nicotine I'd have never known it contained tobacco :^P

Tbh, if asvm were from the USA, Camel would be my recommendation for a try. I rather liked them for awhile, but the aspertame really started getting noticeable for me. I could live with a snus that tasted like candy for an occasional dessert snus, but that synthetic bitterness that appears after awhile really became off putting.