Fiberglass in snus?

[Lucky Striker]

I've never read any bit of research that suggests that oral tobacco ever contained fiberglass. You know, something along the lines of the University of Nebraska or whatever that states "after carefully analyzing the tobacco, we found what appears to be trace amounts of fiberglass in the ingredient stack". I have found research that states "after carefully analyzing different stocks of oral tobacco from the 1980's, 90's and 2000's, we have found no trace of fiberglass present in American snuff over the course of the last thirty years."

Unless you have any evidence to back up the claim that there used to be fiberglass in oral tobacco, you're just propagating an urban legend. You know, the same kind of legend that would have you believe that Yellow #5 which is present in Mountain Dew, Newports, and a million other products make black men sterile. You don't need the FDA to tell you what is in American tobacco products, just a lab, a chemistry major, and an analysis.

[ODurren]

Research constantly changes its mind. Before it was suggested healthy to drink a glass of wine or two a day, then it wasn't the wine but the Red#whatever that was the health benefit. Although I completely agree that over the past few decades, due to health laws and changes it would be impossible for any company to add such an abrasive material to something that you put in your mouth, you can't find any evidence that suggest that that might have been the case later than the above time that you've mentioned.

[lxskllr]

Research constantly changes its mind. Before it was suggested healthy to drink a glass of wine or two a day, then it wasn't the wine but the Red#whatever that was the health benefit.

That's cause/effect research, and can change as new information, time progresses. A chemical analysis doesn't change. Either something's in there, or it isn't.

[Lucky Striker]

Research constantly changes its mind. Before it was suggested healthy to drink a glass of wine or two a day, then it wasn't the wine but the Red#whatever that was the health benefit.

That's cause/effect research, and can change as new information, time progresses. A chemical analysis doesn't change. Either something's in there, or it isn't.

I couldn't have said it better.

Although I completely agree that over the past few decades, due to health laws and changes it would be impossible for any company to add such an abrasive material to something that you put in your mouth,

Actually in the last thirty years, there's been no new laws regarding the ingredient regulation in US Smokeless tobacco that I'm aware of, just laws restricting its use. Tobacco companies could theoretically put fiberglass in their snuff right now and not have to answer for it.

you can't find any evidence that suggest that that might have been the case later than the above time that you've mentioned.

Actually I have more evidence to support my claim than you do. My evidence that shows oral snuff in 1980 to now having no fiberglass in it would render claims of earlier fiberglass content even more unlikely. Fiberglass in 1980 was much, MUCH cheaper to manufacture than it was in 1940-1970. If the companies were going to go through the unnecessary, expensive and useless step of adding fiberglass to their dip, it would have been around the time research began on the subject. You would think that US Smokeless, before pumping billions of dollars into this fiberglass conspiracy, would have had the good sense to call one or two oral surgeons who within seconds would have told them how stupid and pointless that scheme was.

But believe what you want to believe. Even though brands like Copenhagen and Skoal pre-date fiberglass, and were popular before the advent of fiberglass, and the cost of inclusion would have made dip outrageously expensive, and despite that we KNOW POSITIVELY that it hasn't contained any fiberglass for the last thirty years (when it would have been most economically feasible), and that anyone that knows anything remotely about nicotine absorption and the human mouth could tell you that bleeding gums would only hinder nicotine absorption, or that you have no evidence at all to even remotely suggest that dip has now or ever contained any fiberglass at any time in history, cling to what you want to.

I think Martin Luther King was actually a reincarnated Robert Kennedy (who went back in time before he died only to die in his new body) while the spirit of MLK went into the future into Robert Kennedy's body only to die by a reincarnated Lee Harvey Oswald hiding out in the body of Sirhan Sirhan. (Sirhan's soul went into a magic bullet that killed MLK's older brother, JFK). Lydon Johnson was behind the whole thing.

Now, try and prove ME wrong.

[sagedil]

Thank you LS. Now I am even happier we made nice. Well done on your part here. Thank you.

[chainsnuser]

The topic is ridiculous. If there ever was a brand of smokeless tobacco that contained fibreglass or (dirt-cheap and already sold 200 years ago) rock meal or cheap glass-sand, which would have the same counterproductive effect on nicotine-absorption as all the other idiotic "gum-cutting-phantasy-additives", then this company didn't stay on the market for long, because nobody would buy more than one can of a "fibreglass-brand".

Okay, nonetheless, my own take on the whole topic, before I made my first snus-order, was that maybe there is a bit of truth in this myth and that I shall find out for myself without posting another needless question in any forum. After my first prilla it was clear to me that this myth indeed is absolute nonsense. I cannot understand how this topic comes up again and again.

Cheers!

[rscott222]

Eventually as all of this information cycles through the forum we will need to build a faq about snus to help educate folks and to keep moving forward with out knowledge base.

[Snusophile]

Word on the street is that in 10-20 years, fiberglass will be the new asbestos. It is dangerous shit. If cigarettes contained any fiberglass, you would choke to death as your lungs would be filled with blood.

[lxskllr]

Word on the street is that in 10-20 years, fiberglass will be the new asbestos. It is dangerous shit. If cigarettes contained any fiberglass, you would choke to death as your lungs would be filled with blood.

Yup, that's what I think also. Anything that goes in your lungs and sticks is very bad. Asbestos isn't chemically bad for you, the problem is what your body does to take care of the irritant.

[Markus and Joakim]

Re: Fiberglass in snus?

I have noticed that portion general, portion general strong and general onyx have small shiny pieces of what appears to be glass although it is not listed as an ingredient? It is noticeable when you look at the portions and if you touch the portion you can see the small shiny pieces on your hand. It seems to be really noticeable on onyx. I don't notice it on the white portions, so it may come from the spray that makes the snus wet. What is this?

It's an old myth but like Elwin says That's NOT glass - that's salt crystals.

[jon108]

Re: Fiberglass in snus?

I have noticed that portion general, portion general strong and general onyx have small shiny pieces of what appears to be glass although it is not listed as an ingredient? It is noticeable when you look at the portions and if you touch the portion you can see the small shiny pieces on your hand. It seems to be really noticeable on onyx. I don't notice it on the white portions, so it may come from the spray that makes the snus wet. What is this?

It's an old myth but like Elwin says That's NOT glass - that's salt crystals.

Thanks for the reply. Glass may have been the wrong word to use, it really looks more metallic (almost like glitter). I'm not sure what salt crystals look like when they're that small, but I'll take your word for it. I thought it might have been trace metals naturally present in tobacco or the spray that makes it wet. I was 99% sure it wasn't something harmful or general brand wouldn't have been around as long as it has. I just wanted to know what it was since there are rumors about fiberglass being used in both snus and dip. I think the paint on the lid of the onyx can was coming off, so that could have explained some of the larger pieces that I saw on my hand.
I really enjoy the general, general extra sterk and also triumph (although it doesn't seem to deliver the same amount of nicotine as the general). I went to the general US web site and there isn't really anywhere near Georgia where general is available. Any chances of getting it available in any tobacco shops around the Atlanta area? Anyone else from snuson.com from the atlanta area that would be interested? Thanks.

[snus_doggy_dog]

I'm gonna go with the diamonds theory, It makes me feel a tad more upper class.

Now I'm going to do shots of Goldshlager with my snus for an extra kick of bling!

[MasterGuns]

Anyone ever put fiberglass insulation in their walls? It's itchy as hell, and if you're doing it for any period of time longer than a few minutes, you'd better at least wear a mask.
My thinking is if there WERE fiberglass in dip/chew, you'd find yourself with the itchiest mouth on planet.
I also think that since really we don't know SHIT about what American brands put in their products, we can't comment. They could put unicorn shit in there for all we know, we wouldn't be the wiser. That's why that aspect of the whole FDA bill appeals to me.
As for unicorn shit, I'm sure that like fiberglass it wouldn't be cost efficient to put it in chew.
To roughly quote "Thank you for Smoking": Our product contains one of the most highly addictive substances out there, the works practically done for us."
so why bother?

[Soft Morning, City!]

Actually, we do know what the American brands are putting in their snuff. US Smokeless Tobacco Co. now discloses their ingredients on their website.

Visit this URL: http://www.ussmokeless.com/en/cms/Pr...d/default.aspx

This had been discussed elsewhere on this forum when it first happened, but I thought I'd refer visitors of this thread to this site so you can all see for yourselves.

End debate. No fiberglass. None.

EDIT: spelling error. Corrected.

[MasterGuns]

Huh, I wasn't aware of that.
And no unicorn shit.