So I really enjoy the effects of nicotine, but I don't like smoking it. I don't like the damage it does to the lungs, or the increased cancer risk that it bears with it (I don't mind smoking cannabis since it may get tar in the lungs but will not lead to black lung disease, and is not associated with any increased cancer risk whatsoever). So for a while I've had an idle curiosity about smokeless tobacco, but most smokeless tobacco products available in America have all kinds of chemicals and generally bad stuff (like fiberglass) added... doesn't really seem any better than smoking! As far as I'm aware, the only smokeless alternatives that aren't associated with the same sort of increased cancer risks are snus and nasal snuff.
Lately I'd been thinking about trying swedish snus, and today I finally ventured to my local tobacconist looking for it. They didn't have any, but on a whim I decided to pick up a tin of (dry) snuff to give it a whirl.
Dry snuff is finely powdered tobacco, generally scented with essential oils and/or menthol. It should not be confused with "wet snuff" or "American snuff" (dipping tobacco... y'know, Copenhagen and the like). It's one of the oldest ways of taking tobacco introduced to the western world, and nicotine's namesake, Jean Nicot, is well-known for having introduced snuff to the French royalty.
Whenever I encountered historical references to snuff-taking when I was growing up, I just assumed I must be misinterpretting them somehow... after all, who would want to snort powdered tobacco?! So it goes without saying that I wasn't expecting to enjoy the snuff, I'm just very inquisitive when it comes to psychoactives and figured I ought to try it at least once.
To my surprise, I really really like this stuff! You can start to feel it within a few seconds (for some reason I was expecting it to take longer), and maximum effects are reached within 3-5 minutes (and seem to last a whole lot longer than the buzz from a cig). It also feels a lot clearer/cleaner, probably because the nicotine isn't accompanied by all that carbon monoxide... it's just an all-around more pleasant buzz than smoking. I can get a heavier buzz without the dizziness that I would get if I smoked up to the same level. Plus, no more nasty cigarette-mouth (I really don't like the aftertaste that smoking leaves).
There's a little bit of a brief kind of stinging sensation when you first take the snuff, not really uncomfortable though in my opinion. The stuff I've got is slightly mentholated (and I think scented with a little something else I can't quite put my finger on), so it's actually a pretty pleasant nasal sensation.
I very highly recommend it to anyone who likes nicotine but feels guilty about all the negative health consequences that accompany smoking!
Lately I'd been thinking about trying swedish snus, and today I finally ventured to my local tobacconist looking for it. They didn't have any, but on a whim I decided to pick up a tin of (dry) snuff to give it a whirl.
Dry snuff is finely powdered tobacco, generally scented with essential oils and/or menthol. It should not be confused with "wet snuff" or "American snuff" (dipping tobacco... y'know, Copenhagen and the like). It's one of the oldest ways of taking tobacco introduced to the western world, and nicotine's namesake, Jean Nicot, is well-known for having introduced snuff to the French royalty.
Whenever I encountered historical references to snuff-taking when I was growing up, I just assumed I must be misinterpretting them somehow... after all, who would want to snort powdered tobacco?! So it goes without saying that I wasn't expecting to enjoy the snuff, I'm just very inquisitive when it comes to psychoactives and figured I ought to try it at least once.
To my surprise, I really really like this stuff! You can start to feel it within a few seconds (for some reason I was expecting it to take longer), and maximum effects are reached within 3-5 minutes (and seem to last a whole lot longer than the buzz from a cig). It also feels a lot clearer/cleaner, probably because the nicotine isn't accompanied by all that carbon monoxide... it's just an all-around more pleasant buzz than smoking. I can get a heavier buzz without the dizziness that I would get if I smoked up to the same level. Plus, no more nasty cigarette-mouth (I really don't like the aftertaste that smoking leaves).
There's a little bit of a brief kind of stinging sensation when you first take the snuff, not really uncomfortable though in my opinion. The stuff I've got is slightly mentholated (and I think scented with a little something else I can't quite put my finger on), so it's actually a pretty pleasant nasal sensation.
I very highly recommend it to anyone who likes nicotine but feels guilty about all the negative health consequences that accompany smoking!