Tobacco was introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus. Since then several tobacco products appeared, with the cigarettes being the most famous ones. Swedish snus is a type of tobacco that first appeared in the 16th century. Since then it has had a high quality that cannot be found anywhere else; as well as that, Swedish snus is distinctive from any nasal snuff products that are used anywhere else in the world. There are two types of snus: loose and portion packed. Both of these types can come in a variety of flavors. All Swedish snus is made from tobaccos that are carefully selected and air cured, water, salt and, if necessary, different flavor additives; it is usually pasteurized during a heat treatment process according to food requirements. This allows for the microorganisms to be neutralized and for the tobacco to stay fresh for a longer period of time. Due to tough regulations, Swedish snus is regarded as a food product; this is why factories have to comply with the Swedish sanitation requirements. As a result, all the additives that are used in the making process are approved as food additives. All stages of production follows strict procedures, making sure that Swedish snus meets the high standards it is known for. Apart from Sweden, where it is extremely popular, snus has yet to prove its success in other parts of the world. It has only recently been introduced in North America, with no important feedback from consumers yet. This may be caused by the strong snuff tradition in North America (tobacco that is sniffed up the nose) or by the health issues concerning this product. Having a history of 200 years, snus demand fell during the fifties and sixties; however, in 1969 smokeless tobacco consumption rose again, making it a healthier alternative to smoking. As people became more and more aware of the dangers of smoking, snus became the majority's choice, with more than half of Swedish snus users being former smokers. Less than 10 percent of snus users are women. As there have been a lot of concerns about the effects of snus, numerous studies regarding this product have been published lately. The conclusion of the Swedish Board of Health is that the risks of using smokeless tobacco are less than those associated with traditional smoking. However, it is said that smokeless tobacco is associated with mouth and gum cancer, making people to ask themselves what they would choose: getting lung cancer from smoking, or getting gum cancer from using smokeless tobacco?
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