Snus, a tobacco to suck, is becoming more and more popular in high schools. Illegal in France, this product is very easy to find, especially on the Internet and Snapchat. However, it is not safe for health.
This is a new trend emerging among young people. Snus, this puff tobacco that is placed against the gums, is gaining more and more followers. But this product, which is three times more concentrated in nicotine than a conventional cigarette, can be highly addictive and cause significant damage to health. If in France the sale is prohibited, in high schools, the product has been increasingly popular for a few months.
Small sachets just bigger than chewing gum to put in your mouth. Different flavors available and very colorful packaging. The target of the producers are clearly young people. And before the lyceums, many of them have already tasted it.
“I’ve taken it a couple of times. It is fresh in the mouth and turns heads. They are everywhere,” says a high school student.
A prohibited product but easily accessible online and very convenient. Count between 2 and 10 euros for a box of snus. The effects are powerful. Clément, a first grader, paid the price. “Personally, the one time I tried it, it didn’t feel right. It will really tear your mouth, it is very strong, like some kind of anesthesia. It’s kind of crazy so in that moment, it’s cute, but after that it puts holes in the gums,” he says.
Cancer risks
The dangers are numerous, as Philippe Batel, a drug addict, explains.
“Cardiovascular risk is high. We know that the contact of these substances against the oral mucous membranes will lead to a significant increase in oral cancers ”, she says.
And according to experts, snus would also cause other cancers, such as that of the pancreas or the esophagus.
