I am a non-nicotine addict interested in snuff. I find it very interesting and would like to try it. I have tried chewing tobacco and found it very relaxing. I am only scared of the addictive properties of snuff, and have a few questions. Are you addicted to snuff? Do you still get a “buzz” off of snuff? How often do you use snuff? Would you recommend a non-nicotine addict try some snuff?
If you’re asking if someone who isn’t addicted to nicotine should use nicotine the answer is no in any form. Edit: the reason for my answer is because being addicted to anything isn’t fun. I’m using snuff to quit my cig addiction, others probably used nicotine very young like me. I didn’t get addicted over night either… It took me about a year of ritualistic use and a minor interest like yours to become addicted to nicotine. Edit2: I don’t get a buzz, I simply lose the urge to smoke but If you don’t use nicotine at all chances are you’ll definitely get a buzz. I would not recommend using any drugs at all
I started snuff as a non smoker, do I regret it, no … not at all, am I addicted … well depends, I think I could stop taking snuff, however I choose not to, for me its an affordable habit, more of a hobby, so many wonderful snuffs, flavors and brands to try Do I think I am damaging my health … not sure… definitely not in the way smoking or chewing tobacco seems to… there are so many variables in life, I gave up trying to work them out (Having lost two non smoking “healthy” friends to cancer in 12 months makes you re evaluate things) I snuff all day … a good few pinches every 30 mins or so I guess … or more. Do I get a buzz … not sure, I enjoy taking my snuff , some have more nicotine than others, I order mine by what I enjoy not by the nicotine content. I enjoy Snuff taking, and wish I had found it earlier… Just my view
Some people get addicted easily, to many things not just nicotine. I am addicted to nicotine. I would suggest that you strive to not get addicted to it. BUT snuff has other properties beyond just nicotine. Mainly pleasant scents. IF you can temper/moderate your use so that you don’t NEED to use it, but stay in the “want to” category I see nothing especially wrong with it. In the long run nicotine is one of the least dangerous things to get addicted to, as opposed to meth, herion, gambling, sex… Both of my daughters use snuff occasionally and neither has become addicted. I was addicted to nic long before I tried snuff. I would advise sticking with the low to medium nicotine varieties and avoid the high powered ones.
If you are not addicted to nicotine I wouldn’t start it. I am a long time cigarette smoker trying to give my lungs a break and have been able to get my fix through snuff along with other less harmful forms of tobacco. My lungs feel much better but I would prefer not to have a dependence on nicotine. The “buzz” goes away after awhile and all you will end up doing is fending off withdrawals.
I would have to say that however relatively benign snuff is, not using tobacco is better than using it. Having said that, I don’t notice any nicotine effect with snuff, whereas I have done on the rare occasions I have tried oral tobacco. For me, at least, chew and snus deliver a much larger nicotine dose. If you are going to indulge in tobacco occasionally - and it sounds as though you do anyway - I don’t reckon that snuff is going to be a bigger addiction risk than chewing tobacco. I used to smoke cigarettes, the occasional cigar, and enjoyed snuff from time to time. I haven’t had a cigarette or a cigar since January 2003. I started again on snuff about four years ago, and so far I am not aware of being addicted - leaving my snuff box at home does not cause the anxiety that leaving my cigarettes at home used to. Bottom line - tobacco is bad for you. If you don’t use tobacco, don’t start. If you do use tobacco, then snuff is probably as benign as it gets.
Snuff is I think greatly different to smoking. The buzz is very different. Don’t get into snuff for the nicotine buzz, as mentioned go for a low to medium nicotine strength, and enjoy it for what it is, some amazing flavours for your nostrils that (for me) also,has a nice calming effect. I take snuff when relaxed , not because I am stressed and need nicotine… This evening I really enjoyed a courser , moister snuff than I would usually take, sat down relaxed with a nice whiskey, I did not need it, I wanted it … Do that and your fine
do what you will. If you’ve tried chew and like it and aren’t addicted well snuffs no more dangerous on that front. Snuff is awesome I say go for it.
Snuff isn’t so much about the experience with the nicotine. However, it’s part of the journey. As @bob said, do what you will. It’s a fun journey to take. My recommendation is to start with snuffs lower in nicotine content. No need to overwhelm yourself with the stronger ones as a beginner. Use starting off as a crutch to explore different types of snuff and go from there. Only you can determine if you like a snuff or not. If it isn’t for you, move on and find a different hobby. If you do happen to enjoy it, good for you.
I generally find smokeless tobacco MUCH less addictive than smoking cigarettes. No real experience with pipe use but I bet it’s likewise not very addicting. I can go hours without it and all that happens is I feel somewhat sleepy, if I’m busy I won’t even notice that. If I go a long time (like 24 hours) I’ll definitely crave a pinch but it’s not like cigarettes where I felt physically restless and antsy every hour-and-a-half at most if not every 45 minutes. I’d guess someone with no history of nicotine addiction would find it hard to get properly addicted to snuff. You might like a pinch at certain times but you’d have to use pretty heavily for several weeks at least to develop true “physical” craving.
We will get you addicted to smoking in no time! Let us know of your previous addictions and we can help you along with those as well. Don’t be shy. All the knowledge of years of experience is at your finger tips. You can leave it there to warm up a little and then in one short, sharp shot you can snuff it up. Take another pinch now, as I would assume you have another nostril to fill.
I say don’t do it. Why voluntarily become addicted to something? Snuff is great, but I don’t think I’d take it if it didn’t contain nicotine.
If you’re over eighteen, you can make the decision for yourself. You did say try it. I very much doubt that buying a few tins of snuff and taking a few pinches would commit you irretrievably to a five gram a day habit. You might decide you like it, then start using more, then end up with a five gram a day habit, but that’s different. I really think it’s a bit like a non-coffee drinker asking if he should try a cup or not because he’s worried he might end up addicted to caffeine. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that anyone use “drugs”, either – except antibiotics when they are at the risk of gangrene, perhaps. But “drugs” is a very loaded, non-neutral term. I make a habit of drinking a cayenne pepper and cocoa concoction every morning, but they are natural plant products, so they must be good for you – while weed and tobacco are produced in a huge industrial plant down in Mexico (haha). To me, snuff tobacco falls into the category of psychoactive plant proudct, like coffee, cocoa, tea, weed, coca leaves, gingko, damiana, and opium. Also deadly nightshade and magic mushrooms. Many psychoactive plants can be poisonous, if taken to excess or by individuals who are susceptible to them. Some will kill almost anyone. I honestly don’t know if I’m addicted to snuff or not. I’ve never had a period when it’s not available to me for a long period of time. Oh, except on some long international flights. But then it just sort of blends in to the general sense of misery and deprivation that I get at 10,000 feet up in the air.
I am a non-nicotine addict interested in snuff. I find it very interesting and would like to try it. I have tried chewing tobacco and found it very relaxing. I am only scared of the addictive properties of snuff, and have a few questions. Are you addicted to snuff? Do you still get a “buzz” off of snuff? How often do you use snuff? Would you recommend a non-nicotine addict try some snuff?
Going right to the most important question: Would I recommend a non-nicotine addict try snuff? It depends. I have discussed and offered snuff to folks who don’t use tobacco at all, with smokers and users of snus. I don’t do it to get them hooked or to change their ways, but rather to introduce it more because I want them to understand why I am taking out a tap box or tin and wildly snorting tobacco up my nose. Well snorting wildly is a bit exaggerated, but you get the point. Addiction is well defined, so it is up to you to determine if you want to partake in a substance that does indeed have the potential to cause it. As for the addictive properties of snuff over any other form of nicotine- that is subjective at best and is also factored by the user in terms of threshold of if/when they become physically or psychologically addicted. That said; I would say that yes, I am addicted to snuff- or more appropriately nicotine. I chose to return to snuff because I was already using snus, dip, took an occasional cigarette and am a cigar a week smoker. I was looking for nicotine; which I get from snuff, but without what I perceive to be the negatives associated with smoking cigarettes and using oral tobacco. Some were health concerns and others were not wanting to have dragon breath. Occasionally I get a kick that is certainly from nicotine, but more often I get a lift from the particular snuff I am using that day. By lift I refer to the elevation I get from taking a pinch. Right now for instance I am using a medicated snuff- Hedges L260. It has a mentholated property that opens my breathing up a bit and which has for me a very enjoyable scent. While I took a pinch most likely for my needed nicotine, I also enjoy the feeling it gives and the scent it carries. There are some stronger snuffs that do pack a bit more nicotine in them, but despite being hooked on it, I don’t seek out these stronger snuffs. My use is random. I take snuff when I want and when it is appropriate to do so. Just as a smoker may want a cigarette at 30,000 feet while flying across the country cant- nor can I take a pinch in the middle of a meeting or while in the shower. I take somewhere between 10-12 pinches a day, though frequency and quantity can vary widely. Some days I can really go through it, while other days its only a few pinches. As you read the numerous posts from nascent snuff takers and the subsequent responses- use varies for a variety of reasons and from one snuff taker to the next. So in the end- despite what I or any of my esteemed fellow snuff takers say, the decision to use snuff is yours and yours alone.
This is an good debate which I have read with interest. I have taken snuff every day in varying quantities since I started the hobby in March this year. My use of snuff was initially to head a smoking relapse off at the pass, which it has done with great effect. In fact (for the first time in my life at the age of 44) I can honestly say that I find the thought of a smoke repellent. I’m trying to get a friend of mine to use snuff to help give up smoking at the moment because as I see it (as others have said) snuff is a far more benign thing. If anyone is wondering if they are addicted, only one way to find out I guess. Abstain and then see what happens.
If anyone is wondering if they are addicted, only one way to find out I guess. Abstain and then see what happens.
@Thunderbird, I’ve considered trying to go a day without snuff, just to see what happens. But nah. Why bother?
I’m entirely of your way of thinking there!
I generally find smokeless tobacco MUCH less addictive than smoking cigarettes. No real experience with pipe use but I bet it’s likewise not very addicting.
This is my feeling, as well. As a pipe smoker (and the occasional cigar), I can say that I feel no sort of addiction to nicotine. What draws me back to the pipe is the ritual of the experience, the wide array of flavors and aromas, and “the thing itself” rather than a need for a particular chemical. I view snuffing in much the same way. Cigs generally exist to feed addiction; Pipe/Cigar/Snuff tobacco is an entirely different thing which doesn’t inherently place an emphasis on a quick nicotine intake - it’s about a high quality product experienced in a pleasurable way. One can drink fine wine regularly because they enjoy fine wine, and yet not be an alcoholic. I view pipe/cigar/snuff users much the same way (and, the presence of nicotine has the added benefit of helping ween cig users away from that more dangerous form of use). That said, I’m not a doctor, just an enthusiast. In the end, if you’re over 18 and want to see if it’s for you, that’s your call to make - if you’re looking for support, you’ll find plenty regardless of what you choose.
Snuff starting is a personal choice. I was never a cig smoker and on occasion smoked a cigar but always enjoyed the smell of tobacco. Snuff started as a curosity that got into a habit of some sort. Im I addicted to snuff?? I know I enjoy the first snuff of the day if its after work or in the morning on my days off. Do I get buzz?? On some snuffs I do get a buzz on some German snuffs that make my head spin a little but not my daily snuffs. You just need to ask yourself if you do have a addicted personality you might not want to start.
I used snuff on and off many times. I don’t think I started again because I was addicted but rather because of the effect it gives me. I could live with out it.
Ask @lunecat I believe he was a non-smoker and started snuffing. Is he addicted to snuff now or is it just a habit? I’d say the latter…
@smirple As has been said, it’s down to you if you want to risk nicotine addiction, however I would like to add, the addiction from smokeless is far less harsh than from stinkies. If you control your snuff consumption to a view pinches every hour or so I don’t think it will present much of a problem and just use the medium nicotine varieties like Toque for example.
If you’re over eighteen, you can make the decision for yourself. You did say try it. I very much doubt that buying a few tins of snuff and taking a few pinches would commit you irretrievably to a five gram a day habit. You might decide you like it, then start using more, then end up with a five gram a day habit, but that’s different. I really think it’s a bit like a non-coffee drinker asking if he should try a cup or not because he’s worried he might end up addicted to caffeine. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that anyone use “drugs”, either – except antibiotics when they are at the risk of gangrene, perhaps. But “drugs” is a very loaded, non-neutral term. I make a habit of drinking a cayenne pepper and cocoa concoction every morning, but they are natural plant products, so they must be good for you – while weed and tobacco are produced in a huge industrial plant down in Mexico (haha). To me, snuff tobacco falls into the category of psychoactive plant proudct, like coffee, cocoa, tea, weed, coca leaves, gingko, damiana, and opium. Also deadly nightshade and magic mushrooms. Many psychoactive plants can be poisonous, if taken to excess or by individuals who are susceptible to them. Some will kill almost anyone. I honestly don’t know if I’m addicted to snuff or not. I’ve never had a period when it’s not available to me for a long period of time. Oh, except on some long international flights. But then it just sort of blends in to the general sense of misery and deprivation that I get at 10,000 feet up in the air.
Haha I doubt you’re flying 10,000 feet unless you’re James Bond on a recon mission. I believe it’s 30,000 to 40,000
Heh. Okay, meters then. All I remember is its about as high as everest.
Hmmmm… Have been using snuff for years. I am a cigar smoker (~5 per week) and occasional pipe smoker (~1 - 2 bowls week). I used to smoke cigarettes but gave them up years ago. Snuff, well that tends to be multiple times daily. Am I addicted to snuff? I think I will qualify my answer somewhat. I do not feel I have a physical addiction as I have had several occasions when for one reason or another have not had access to snuff for week or more at a time and did not notice any withdrawal or other physical change. However, I feel I do have a psychological addiction if you will as I simply love the scents, the ritual, the associated memories and the calming effect snuff can have. If you review past threads on this site you will find many references to TAD. Stands for Tobacco Acquisition Disorder - sometimes used in joking manner - but be prepared to have this should you choose to continue on your snuff journey. It is simply that you will find you enjoy it so much that you want to try all of them and will find yourself buying far more than you will use in short period of time. So don’t say I did not warn you.
Hmm… where to start… I think first you need to look at your own personality? DO you get “obsessed” with things? For example, whenever I get into a new hobby or interest - I go full bore. Need proof? I bought my first dry snuff one week ago today. Right now I have 3 open cans, 24 5 gram cans on order , 3 25 gram cans in a trade to cash offer, and am looking at the stuff chefdaniel does. So that’s me … How much of that is obsession vs. addiction? I have grown up in tobacco fields, worked in in from age 6, cannot look out a window of my home and not see acres of it in any direction, started chewing and smoking as a kid - as an adult went through the pipe and cigar phase - and recently stopped smoking. Cold. Turkey. Note it was the smoking - at that point a 2 and a half a pack a day habit – but I can attest in court with no fear of perjury that I have had none since simply deciding to quit. So - obsession vs addiction - only you know your personality. I am not expert enough to get into theory of addictive behaviors being genetic or what not - but I do know that having a wife who went through Narcotics Anonymous that addiction can be a base and primal destructive thing - whereas I find the habits and obsessiveness,while also a psychological inclination, to be altogether different. Would I suggest you start? Meh - if you 18 and of sound mind, make your own decision. Mankind has never lived ata time when information has been more accessible - be informed, consider the personal benefits versus the possible negatives, and move with your decision.
I just wanted to add the majority of addicts ( with anything ) normally do not admit and or even know they are addicted… It’s even one of the qualifiers for rehabilitation with harder addictions. Lol Nicotine is addictive. Go get addicted to a woman not to nicotine.
Thanks for sharing.
@Roderick, the one day idea is a fun thing to believe and I’m sure I’ll quote you on it at some point. But you’re cutting the margin of error thing a bit fine, don’t you think? You sure it’s not 36 hours?
This has been an interesting topic to say the least. I can’t really share my opinion too Mich because I used to smoke before I started using snuff. If I were nicotine free my whole life I would’ve tried this for novelty rather than nicotine. As an ex smoker I started this for nicotine but found much more than I could ever ask for.
This is a very interesting question. When I met my wife I was a 40 a day smoker and my wife was a leading, highly published cancer research scientist. She gave me the ultimatum; her or smoking. I tried everything including hypnosis, nothing worked. I then remembered snuff and I stopped smoking with the first tin. The current medical thinking is that snuff users outlive non-tobacco users by one day. This might not sound like much but that’s 8.4 years longer than smokers and that one day more than non-tobacco users is quite significant in itself. The main benefits currently touted of snuff tobacco and for that matter all forms of tobacco are in the slowing of the onset of Dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. However snuff has the advantage over lit or oral tobacco in that it extends life. If I were a “Non-nicotine addict interested in starting” I wouldn’t hesitate.
I’ll play the devils advocate Where’s the proof? lives one day longer then non smokers it sounds sort of funny If you told me five years, three years or even one year I could try to believe it but technically there is no possible way to be able to tell if snuff made that person live an extra day… There’s no way to know if they were going to die anyway because one day is so insignificant that it’s impossible to measure. So I would have to say it’s not real and if it is there’s literally no way to prove it. We are also assuming that high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks aren’t prevalent in the users family… Which can cut a life in half or make people wheel chair bound. The truth is if you don’t already use tobacco you shouldn’t. I wanted to add I am a firm believer Some users live longer on tobacco For example I get so stressed without tobacco I’m sure I would live less without it… But that’s because I can’t regulate my stress normally. Most non. Nicotine addicts probably can do a better job at relaxing normally. However some people can be more prone to cancers, pancreatitis, strokes, high blood pressures and heart attacks and that’s simply too many factors to recommend nicotine to a " non addict " without a full medical history. It just seems like a lot of Ifs to me
If you google you will find there are loads of studies showing the benefit of nasal snuff. The tide is changing. Everything we thought was bad for us is now good and vice versa. We all know the benefit of switching to nasal snuff. It would appear that the one day extra is gained by preventing the onset of dementia. When we think about it it’s really quite logical how this could extend life.
I read every single article you posted and I agree 110%. Nicotine increases reaction time, calms the nerves, can even prevent dementia and has an array of other benefits… These are the positives But If you googled you could easily find studies focusing on the negative aspect too. ( nicotine increases pancreatitis in rats and other mammals, promotes constriction of blood vessles and or increase strain on the heart etc. ) The reason you can find different tests on the web saying different things is because most of these studies are focusing on either the benefits or the negatives. For example, let’s say a user of nicotine was never going to have Parkinsons in the first place but his or her family has a history of heart disease or another vascular problem, then it could be a mistake for that person to use nicotine in any form. This is why I never really tend to use the word safer and hardly ever beneficial while relying more on an individual to individual basis and not mass studies… These studies aren’t focusing on sick people with diseases and there’s plenty of people living with vascular disease, heart problems, etc… We don’t know who has what and we can’t break into their genetic code to see what they will have in the future. I’m not denying the fact that tobacco products particularly snuff can be helpful I’m just saying it could completely go the opposite way. There are tests that can prove the benefits from tobacco and studies that can prove the negatives… but there’s no way to tell anybody personally 100% anything. Simply because you would have to test 7 billion people after going over their medical history and then each generation after that comparing the previous generations data. Only a study as specific as this would come close to guaranteeing anybody anything. It’s the same reason there’s some skinny guy who was on YouTube for eating a Big Mac or whopper everyday for like 40 years… If another person attempted that they could very well die. No two people are the same and these studies are probably in the 100s of people, max a few thousand. We are about 7 billion + people and not even twins are exactly the same.
From the most recent National Geographic… Smokeless options like e-cigarettes-their safety is not yet known, but federal regulation is pending- could be less harmfull says David Abrams of the Schroeder Insitute. :Burning tobacco releases carcinogens and causes most of the damage. It’s to make combusted cigarettes obsolete" The mini article is about the falling rates of cigarette use. And it’s got a blurb about smokeless being safer. To me that is a really sign of sea change.
Yeah one mustn’t forget the positive effects of nicotine. There’s a reason people use it enough to become addicted and that’s because it’s a pleasant, mild stimulant that doesn’t impair judgment and improves mood and cognition. I don’t think I’d be depressed or stupid if I didn’t use tobacco but it definitely gives a nice lift.
I just love this form! awesome people on here! i need some more snuff