When I started posting here it felt like we were experiencing a real snuff renaissance. There was a huge amount of selection from SG, WoS and regular new flavours from Toque. We had De Kralingse churning out some absolute magic like their Latikia snuff, artisan snuff box makers and some real regular engagement.

I found my favourites and drifted away and now I’m back the landscape feels so different. Like a slow sunset…

My old local tobacconist in Leeds closed down years ago, my Bristol tobacconist is gone. The cost cutter in Barnsley that used to have O&G doesn’t seem to stock it any more. I’m going to Cardiff soon and wouldn’t be surprised if the bear shop is gone.

I’m not sure what I want anyone to say, I just had some feelings to get off my chest.

Like smokers, it seems we’re a dying breed.

I know snuff taking was never big in my lifetime and that the sun has been going down for a long time, but it really feels like dusk has set in.

There will be no renaissance of snuff in Europe, Britain or the USA. Snuff here in the UK is in long decline, probably terminal despite tax concessions by the chancellor in 1978 and an advertising campaign launched in the early 1980s. There is a thread on this forum covering these issues which as a snuff taker for sixty years I’ve perhaps felt more keenly than others. The many companies in Britain and Ireland (some of great age) which manufactured snuff that have folded in my lifetime are listed - and the list is a long one. The demise of the mining industry and the wholesale closure of the traditional tobacconist from the humble High Street shop to Wix of Piccadilly or the Bacon Bros. in Cambridge accounts for the withering. The war on tobacco has taken its toll on snuff. If it wasn’t for the internet and online purchases then I doubt snuff made in the UK would still be available. Even now there appears to be confusion over international shipping for overseas customers and what can and can’t be sent by mail whereas in the past manufacturers would be able to sell wholesale to, for example, the USA.

France no longer manufactures their genuine Morlaix or indeed (to the best of my knowledge) any other snuff and some very old German manufacturers have given up their last gasp.

Like some other posters here I’ve always been interested in the history of snuff and the history of the UK companies that made them, but the only company with a genuine pedigree that now remains is Wilsons of Sharrow (est. 1737). There is now much less to discuss regarding the history of a particular snuff or its maker as, understandably, few people are likely to show interest in or engage in discussion over something that has ceased to exist.

For the sake of snuff I’m thankful to live in England and I just hope to goodness that Sharrow Mills survives me

I started my adventure with snuff during what was called the snuff renaissance in Poland, so I found the best time possible to start my journey through the tobacco world. Unfortunately, I must admit with regret that this time has long passed, as I believe that this period covered the years 2000-2015, i.e. from the end of the snuff prohibition in Poland, until changes in Polish law forced by EU directives (including the ban on the sale of tobacco via the Internet).

The number of people at that time interested in various issues related to snuff was truly significant. You could really feel like you were part of something bigger, discovering fantastic curiosities from the past. It looks a bit like a “back in my days” text (after all, I started taking it at the age of 17, and I’m slowly approaching forty), but the snuff community was amazing - which also contributed to the fact that I was a moderator of one of the largest forums on this topic and the editor of top25snuff - the first of which no longer exists, and the second has been dying in agony for years. I am sad to say that I finished writing my book too late.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to disagree that the snuff market was definitely driven by online sales, which gave the opportunity to choose a really huge amount of powdered tobacco. Although in Poland we have always had an equally large one locally. I look carefully at what is happening in the European Union regarding tobacco regulations and it is hard for me to imagine that a product that has survived so many adversities and has survived to this day would disappear.

Sorry to hear that the Polish Renaissance has petered out in disappointment for you. Forty to forty five years ago there were hopes, too, of a snuff renaissance in Britain, backed by advertising, a favourable report by the influential medical journal ‘The Lancet’ and tax concessions. The reverse has happened, eroding the customer base to a small number of enthusiasts. Hopefully these enthusiasts will ensure continuation of snuff manufacture albeit at a smaller level of production.

I also considered writing a book, a short history of snuff manufacture in Kendal and Sheffield to keep me out of mischief during my retirement years, but with the collapse of Illingworth and more recently Samuel Gawith it seems hardly worth it now. Even if I had managed a history it would hardly be a bestseller so I would have had to publish privately anyhow.

What’s happening with regards to your book?

I never had the opportunity to take truly Polish manufactured snuff, as it ended its life in 1996. However, I don’t suspect it would be worth it. The snuff I would most like to try is Rawicz Nessing, but its life ended sometime in the early 20th century. I remember how passionately I was looking for a recipe to give to Jaap - unfortunately, apart from information about the great popularity of this species (and a few details about its appearance), I could not find the recipe.

However, the topic of the history of snuff in Poland is rather unpopular in the snuff community itself. It is obvious that delving into history is not particularly important when you have Bernard or Poschl at your fingertips. Therefore, my goal was to find everything I could about the history of snuff in Poland - following the Polish saying: You praise someone else’s, but you don’t know your own. Basically, I didn’t expect to find so many fantastic anecdotes, advertisements, etc.

First of all, I did it for myself, but as I wrote in the introduction, it is a thank you letter created by a Polish snuff taker for the Polish snuff takers. Currently, I am selecting illustrations for the book. I wonder what the printing cost will be, because I have a lot of it - yes, it will be my own financial contribution. Ultimately, I will print one piece for myself and the rest will go out into the world as an e-book. However, I already have the ISBN number, so serious steps have been taken.

To sum up, if the lack of a few producers on the market is going to hold you back, what was I supposed to say when there haven’t been any in Poland for years?

And as a bonus, one of the illustrations for the book.

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Snuff will never die, and we also can’t say definitively if it will return to popularity or not. There are all sorts of old tech and other practices that come back into popularity. Vinyl records are an obvious one. I’m someone who likes collecting VHS tapes because they’re so cheap and unique, and the VHS market is starting to rise in popularity even though just a year ago everyone thought they were outdated and inferior. Same with all physical media, more people are buying blu-rays and DVDs because they’re tired of paying streaming subscriptions.

Snuff is not popular now and has been decreasing in popularity for some time. But as smoking is continuously discouraged and vaping dangers are further advertised, the desire for smokeless tobacco will rise and we don’t know whether snuff will fit the bill for many or not.

I think a better question would be: Will snuff ever be mainstream rather than a niche? That’s a fun fantasy to daydream about…

The trouble is that VHS tapes and vinyl LPs are not subject to prohibitive legislation as is the case with tobacco. Nor do they contain health warnings. At best, snuff will only ever be a niche market in the West. But if the incumbent UK government have their way, prohibiting sales of tobacco in all its forms (including snuff) to anyone born after 1st January 2009, then long before the end of the century it won’t even be a niche market in this country; it will cease to exist altogether.

I note that profits for Wilsons of Sharrow est. 1737, Britain’s oldest and now largest manufacturer, has dropped from £947,900 to £770,762 in the last two years, doubtless the result of the cost of living. Still healthy for a small business but alarming all the same.

(BTW: The controlling body of the snuff industry in Britain was the Society of Snuff Grinders, Blenders and Purveyors. It consisted of the twelve snuff manufacturers (inclusive of other brand names but were custom-made by one of these twelve). The interest of this society lay in its publication of figures for snuff sales in pounds. The society collapsed along with much of the snuff industry so by the 1980s this information was not to be had. I have figures for their final entry in 1983. The recorded sales volume was 268,376 lb domestic and 262,538 lb export. It would be interesting in the light of the collapse of the two largest British manufacturers (Illingworth and J&H Wilsons) what these figures would be forty years later.)

@PhilipS2 Laws don’t make things disappear. Doesn’t matter if the UK government makes all forms of tobacco illegal, people will still do it, and it likely wouldn’t be heavily enforced, anyway. See the U.S. Prohibition era, for example.

It may become unprofitable for small manufacturers. Also a more pressing issue putting people off snuff is the fairly recent profiteering that is becoming so obvious by certain monopolys on sales. The UK government cut tax on snuff to make it cheaper for the customer not so that snuff sellers could tax it for themselves! For example Sam Gawaith 25g is £2.75 in a brick and mortar shop in the UK and £6.50 online obviously that’s a situation that is bad for snuff in general.

I had a look at an online tobacco store and saw that a large tin of Wilsons which costs £3.60 from the manufacturer is selling for £5.99 - a 65% hike in cost. Unfortunately Sharrow doesn’t ship abroad, but if you live in the UK it makes no sense to purchase elsewhere for Wilson’s snuff.

The tax break also scrapped ad valorem tax as well as all Customs and Excise duty on tobacco imported for snuff - a situation not seen in England since 1590 according to ‘The Manufacture of Snuff’ by J & H Wilson Ltd.

Yes, this is something I’ve noticed. I only buy direct from Wilson’s now because of shipping, etc. When I started exploring the world of snuff there was so much available and it was so affordable. American, Indian, German snuffs were all so accessible and affordable. It seems different now.

It is not that bad. Industrial snuff is consolidating in a few large manufacturers now, that’s not a bad thing in a niche market.

Don’t forget that you can make your own snuff. I had a blast making not only my snuff, but also cigars and even tried snus. If you can’t get tabacco leaf in you country you may use additive free ryo tabacco.

Now i even have a fellow snufftaker in my real life, apart from a dozen or so who may use it once in a while.

Snuff will survive, don’t be so bleak, cheer up a little.

@StevenSpark Well said!

All good points but I do feel we are in the end times…

Really pining for some of those S.G. greats. Red crest and C.C.C. were so nice.

When, on 1st January 1978 the European Economic Community (as the European Union was then known) revoked tax on tobacco intended for snuff there was a European renaissance that fizzled out like a damp squib a decade later. Since then there has been closure after closure of snuff manufacturers.

For new snuff-takers who are not in a position to compare the past to the present a wish and a prayer is one thing, but anyone, like me, who was a snuff-taker in 1978 will know that those halcyon days are long past and that today snuff manufacture and procurement is precarious. I realize, understandably, that that view is not a popular one among many here but it’s a realistic view.

Snuff has a very large range of products (giving an impression to some, perhaps, that it’s a thriving market) but that large range is manufactured in low volumes by a small and dwindling number of manufacturers to cater for a shrinking clientele.

Looking at records held by Companies House I have a shrewd idea (from viewing their plunging assets) that the next business to go will be a UK manufacturer (but not Wilsons, who I hope will survive my dotage). My son, meanwhile, has emailed Bernard Schnupftabak on my behalf for definitive confirmation that they are closing this May, and I hope he receives a reply.

Steven - you recently posted the following:

I am a newbie in the snuff taking world. I use it almost daily, but in my country (Romania) snuff seems to be in decline.

So is it in decline or isn’t it?

It’s still doing OK in Germany, though. At least that’s my impression from what I see online. Doesn’t appear to be booming but doesn’t look on its last legs either.

I think that our view of the topic is strongly geopolitically conditioned, but also filled with our own experiences in the topic. Of course, I understand the view that “snuff will never die”, because we know that we currently have producers in Brazil, India, the United States, England, etc., but there are certain political movements that are unfavorable for certain countries. As a Pole, I see it a little differently, especially considering the history of tobacco in Poland, which was heavily monopolized for centuries. Therefore, I am not convinced by arguments comparing alcohol prohibitions to tobacco prohibitions - although I understand the idea of going underground, because this is what we experienced in Poland with snuff after 1996. However, nowadays it is not about the underground, but more about the gradual taking away of the freedom that we were given. after 1989 (thank you, Pocztam Conference) and definitely the political movements offered by the European Union bring many people to mind the period of communism/socialism. It’s like giving a carrot and then taking it away. Looking at the situation that is currently happening in Europe, because the question is asked in 2024, we can say that the situation is very bad. Historically, there were many countries that could have contributed to the end of history in their country, but considering that we have a union of many countries that must adhere to one general law - the situation becomes much more dangerous. And I will not mention that there are ideas to completely ban the production and sale of tobacco products.

That post was from a year or so ago. Back then I had just started using snuff and I wanted snuff to be the most used tabacco product out of them all, newbie enthusiasm. Now that my relation with it matured, my perception about the status of snuff changed from " Why isn’t it more popular? " to " There is room from improvement but it is in alright situation ".

Snuff taking is still in decline (in europe and us at least) compared to the 18th-19th century but not in the deathbed. Internet preserved the all the info about it. Don’t forget that industrial snuff is not all the snuff used. Many people, for various reasons, choose to make artisanal snuff straight from tabacco leaf. The amount of this type used is very hard to quantify.

Cheers mate!

Much of EU legislation and laws are covert, with the citizen not being aware of them until they are affected. One example is the proposed Traceability & Security of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU). The avowed purpose was to limit diversion of tobacco products from the legitimate supply chain: the intended purpose was to make tobacco products prohibitively costly by means of an elaborate tracking and trace system. Larger companies could have complied but as Gawith Hoggarth, McChrystals and other small and micro-businesses pointed out it would have had a disproportionate and devastating effect as they did not have the available resources to comply and would be driven out of business.

I no longer follow the mired jungle of EU directives and regulations since Britain left and fortunately the considered article was never applied to snuff in this country. (Brexit has its benefits). Track and Trace has, however, put Bernard to the sword after 291 of business.

British manufacturers will nevertheless have a difficult situation, as the track and trace system will make it difficult for them to sell their products within the European Union. I don’t think there is an importer that would be financially profitable to import snuff from England and pay extra for the serialization process of each package.

That’s an astute observation (but upon reflection quite obvious). Regardless of the damage to the European snuff manufacturing industry Track and Trace will hit British exports. According to the last recorded figure for sales in the UK (1983) volume was 268,376 lb domestic and 262,538 lb export. That export market to Europe will likely dwindle. The consequences are inevitable.

Tobacco legislation (and, although I don’t use it myself, the illegal status of weed) drives me mad. There’s a far more widely available drug, at far lower prices, which is devastating in a myriad of ways.

Yet the same politicians that come down hard on tobacco and agree with weed being illegal literally celebrate the other drug.

I’m not on a downer about alcohol. If somebody wants to drink, work away, I’m not going to stop you. But I’m yet to hear of someone taking a pinch of snuff or smoking some Mary Jane and battering seven shades out of their wife, getting into fights in bars, getting arrested as a direct result of over-consumption. And that’s before we discuss health complications.

It’s literally bonkers that of the three drugs, alcohol is the one that’s most socially and politically acceptable.

I think people in this thread need to define what they think “The death of snuff” means. It doesn’t mean that the industry will continue to shrink, it doesn’t mean that it will become a smaller niche, it doesn’t mean that there will be stricter laws.

The death of snuff means that snuff is dead and gone. I would also clarify to say that “the death of snuff” means that it will no longer be available commercially, and if you wanted any chance of getting snuff you’d have to grind your own.

With that clarified, it would be hard to argue that such a time will ever come, whether snuff is a small and dwindling market or not. Will the market decline? Possibly. Will snuff be harder to come by? Possibly. Will stricter laws be placed on smokeless tobacco? Possibly.

But will snuff ever be totally dead and gone? Doubtful.

@Snugar If you think the politicians are still pulling the strings on these things, you’re behind. It’s corporations that push these narratives so they can profit from them. Anti-tobacco legislation is pushed so the alternative market (which they’re invested in) thrives. Same thing is happening with gasoline-powered cars vs. electric.

Of course. You’re stating the obvious.

But they’re still the ones who make laws, regardless of how influenced they are.

Yeah, we’re basically saying the same thing. I wouldn’t say it’s politicians who are to blame, they’re a dog on a leash, they’re all bought off. We can point the finger at them all we want but they’re just proxies for the “powers that be.”

It’s still their choice to be bought off. So, ultimately, I consider them responsible for their actions. Not sure how that makes me “behind” , but anyhow…

Because it’s not ultimately about legislation or politicians. Laws don’t mean anything unless they’re enforced. There are many U.S. states where marijuana is illegal but cops won’t even write someone up for having a little weed in their pocket, they’ll just confiscate it. And the US. Prohibition era saw widespread alcohol use even though it was illegal.

As for politicians, yes they choose to be bought off but what do you expect? An upright and honorable politician? Lol. They are the ones “writing” the laws, but their ideas aren’t there, like I said. They’re proxies for higher powers.

Anyway, we’re derailing the thread here, might as well drop it.

If only there were like a million and ten other careers they could choose from .

Not all of us live in the US either, chief, lol.

Anyway, you went for an ad hominem attack. Then doubled down on it when queried. I’m gonna assume you’re acting in bad faith from now on chief and focus on talking with the many people on here who conduct themselves respectfully .

@Snugar I think you’re taking offense where none is given. I recommend a hefty dose of menthol snuff to chill out.

Behind in this context equals remedial.

That you didn’t know that questions the accuracy of your arrow somewhat, lol.

Anyway, as I said, enough time wasted, kid. Ciao.

@Snugar L260 should give you plenty of menthol to chill, if not that maybe try Red Bull.

This is my thinking, too. I don’t think snuff will die out. Certainly not in the near to medium future. There’s currently, imo, too wide a variety readily to suggest it will vanish anytime soon.

Will it be more difficult to get hold of in some countries. Probably. But I doubt it will become impossible.

Also, tobacco legislation is a tricky issue. New Zealand, afaik, the first country to introduce a projected complete ban on tobacco has rolled it back.

Doesn’t matter if the UK government makes all forms of tobacco illegal, people will still do it, and it likely wouldn’t be heavily enforced, anyway. See the U.S. Prohibition era, for example.

It might not matter to you whether the UK government makes all forms of tobacco illegal, but has it never crossed your mind that it matters to people who enjoy British snuff?

That would be the end of a centuries-old tradition of snuff manufacture in this country and long established snuffs such as Princes, S.P and Irish – unless, of course, you care to teach us how to make them.

Take for example a gros snuff such as Princes, a Regency period black snuff. Is it a single base snuff or is it a mixture? What tobacco is used? Is there a specific proportion of leaf and stalk? How often is the stack turned and at what temperature and for how long? What percentage is water and what salts are used in fermentation?

Similarly it might not matter to you if commercially made snuff becomes illegal and unavailable sometime in the future altogether but it matters to the rest of us.

Are you sure that you are posting on the right forum?

Exactly.

I love English snuffs. They’re my favourite so far. And I’d hate to see them vanish.

Plus it being available only via illegal sources would raise all sorts of concerns on a myriad of issues and levels.

Unless the idea is that illicit tobacco dealers would be somehow more caring of their customers than narcotic dealers.

Frankly, the idea that it wouldn’t matter if snuff became illegal is utterly ridiculous and naive.

@PhilipS2 I don’t know why you cut off the first sentence before where you quoted me, because that was the entire context of my response:

“Laws don’t make things disappear.”

We’re not talking about a particular tradition of snuffmaking dying out, or snuff becoming harder to get, or whether or not you like these things happening or not happening, we’re talking about snuff itself not existing anymore, the DEATH of snuff.

And my point was that you can put as many laws on the books that you want, it won’t eliminate snuff just like it hasn’t eliminated alcohol, weed, or any other substance.

But feel free to keep whinging, I suppose.

@Snugar For someone who complains about ad-hominems, you seem to be a fan of strawmen.

I said that it doesn’t matter in regards to the death of snuff if it is made illegal because people will still be making snuff and using it, as we have seen with virtually every prohibition law in existence. You are purposefully ignoring the context of my post or struggling with comprehension.

Obviously I would care if snuff is illegal, but the topic of this thread isn’t would we care if snuff was illegal? The topic is the death of snuff, and in that context illegality won’t kill off snuff, just as it never killed off alcohol, weed, or any other substance.

Most people who have read the posts are able to discern that the thread follows the demise of snuff manufacturers and the threat hanging over those that remains. It’s not really that hard to follow.

Manufacturers with centuries of experience in making unique snuffs are being forced out of business. That is an issue of great concern – at least for all for all serious snuff-takers if not for you.

As already suggested, you are at liberty to draw on your (presumably) vast reserves of knowledge and experience to teach us all how to make these unique snuffs from home. If by some slim chance you don’t actually know how manufacturers such as Wilsons of Sharrow (est. 1737) or Bernard (est. 1733) make their varied snuffs, and are unable pass on their accumulated knowledge for our benefit, then please refrain from telling us that their demise doesn’t matter and leave the point of discussion to those of us who are concerned.

“Laws don’t make things disappear.”

So, you suggest that a law was not responsible for the demise of Bernards and the forthcoming disappearance of their unique snuffs! Please will you explain to the manufacturers the real reason for closure as they are labouring under a misapprehension it was the result of a new law.

I’ve explained the context of my posts twice now on this thread, Philip, at this point it is derivative. I don’t know if you are being willfully obstinate to what I’m saying or are not understanding.

We are all well aware that laws can close down manufacturers, limit markets, crush commercialization of products. And we are all concerned by that and don’t want such a thing to happen. But in regard to the DEATH of snuff, such an idea is so all-encompassing that it is nigh-on impossible., which has been my point.

Take marijuana for example. Did illegality make marijuana harder to come by? Definitely. Did it make make commercialization of marijuana impossible? Yup. Did it cause people who wanted to use marijuana have to grow it themselves or find alternative means of getting it (dealers)? Certainly.

But did the illegality of marijuana make it “die?” Did the illegality of marijuana cause the death of marijuana? Of course not, because illegality has never killed any substance. Just like the U.S. prohibition era, or the “war on drugs.”

You are turning the conversation into “these manufacturers are closing and you’re not concerned about it and don’t care if snuff becomes illegal” and that has never been my position. The topic is not whether the closing of these manufacturers is worrisome, because of course it is. The topic is whether snuff is going to die. If you don’t believe me, read the title of this thread.

That’s my point and if you still don’t understand (or pretend you’re understanding but continue to miss the mark) I’m not going to waste more time explaining it.

The snuff market is definitely going to change, for better or (more likely) for worse. But snuff will always be around in some way or another. We are past the heyday of snuff, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t companies adapting to the changing market and continuing the tradition. We see this with companies like Toque who are making varied, non-traditional scents and experimentations. We also see this with Mr. Snuff who are working to stay one step ahead of restrictive policies to continue to provide a modern, online marketplace to get snuff.

It will be a different landscape, for sure. But I’m hopeful to see where snuff goes in the future.

I’ll repeat: Most people who have read the posts are able to discern that the thread follows the demise of snuff manufacturers and the threat hanging over those that remains. It’s not really that hard to follow, but to make it simple for you let’s call the topic The Passing Away of the Snuff Manufacturer.

[But feel free to keep whinging, I suppose.]

Absolutely amazing! A complete tyro who is wholly ignorant of snuff, snuff history and its manufacture has the downright arrogance to suggest that those concerned for the future of old-established British (such as Wilsons) and European snuff manufacturers are merely whingers. Congratulations to you, BarlimanButtersnuff, for bringing Snuffhouse down to what is probably its lowest ever level.

to make it simple for you let’s call the topic The Passing Away of the Snuff Manufacturer.

Ah, so you had to change the topic’s title to fit your misunderstandings. Bravo.

Keep whinging.

The death of .

This 10,000%.

It appears everyone bar Barliman can discern what’s going on in this thread.

Also, it utterly bemuses me how someone who, as you allude to (and who states as much in their bio), is new to snuff, thinks their opinion of its history, manufacture, etc. trumps those of people on here who have been snuffing for years. I’m new to it, too, but am here to learn from people who are far more versed in it than me. I mean, that’s what you usually do in such situations, right?

On a brighter note, I’m pretty sure if we just ignore, the “situation” will move onto another forum for its sh*ts and giggles.

No, it’s you who doesn’t understand. You wrote:

‘I think’ [questionable] people in this thread need to define what they think “The death of snuff” means.

Regarding what you wrote above, my definition was provided for the exclusive benefit of you and you alone, as you are so patently unable to keep up with the concerns expressed in these posts.

@PhilipS2 Correct, I said that because people like yourself don’t understand what “the death of snuff” means, it doesn’t mean manufacturers are closing, it doesn’t mean laws are made against snuff, it doesn’t mean that recipes will be lost (all of which is terrible), it means snuff is DEAD. The DEATH of snuff. It was a rhetorical statement.

Ah… so that’s what the ignore button is for…

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@Snugar At least have the courage to tag me directly if you’re going to make snipes, makes you look weak.

Why don’t you try reading beyond the title? Now, I fully understand that for someone such as you (with no real experience of snuff or its associations) will not appreciate the sentiments expressed by the original poster. However, a less arrogant person, ignorant of the current precarious situation and what existed before, would have left well alone. Instead, you barge in with banal, uninformed and uneducated comments without bothering to inwardly read and digest the text of posters – posters who, by the way, are far and away more informed than you.

@PhilipS2 I believe from other comments I’ve seen of yours that you are an older gentleman. I would think from your years of wisdom on this earth that you would have learned to be less dramatic.

I’ve pointed out, ad nauseam at this point, what the topic was about (yes, even beyond the title) and you still don’t grasp that. Instead you have to try and character assassinate by making me into some arrogant, pompous person who tries to pretend he knows everything about snuff and doesn’t care about snuff being illegal (lol) when I’ve never done that.

You can continue snickering with your sensitive friend all you want, but you’re still failing to grasp the points I’m making and it’s tiresome repeating myself to you.

My knowledge of snuff until recently was limited mainly to literature. But it should be obvious to anyone moderately well-read that snuff today isn’t remotely what it was in, say, Victorian times. And that should be enough to garner concern for its current status.