Beginner to Smokeless Tobacco W/ Questions

[adammg]

Hey Y'all,

I'm trying to quit smoking and have been *sigh* for a few years. I've had months of success at a time, but always end up back where I started. vaping has been my most successful method so far, but with the changes in vaping and my body it's becoming harder for me to do. I smoke about a pack a day of Marlboro Reds. What I want to do ultimately is give up nicotine and tobacco all together. I've heard nicotine in one Red is anywhere from .8 to 1.6mgs of nicotine. What brand of dip/snus would be comparable or less in strength? I have tried looking up a few different brands and getting confused on how smokeless tobacco nicotine content is measured.


Thanks,
Adam

 

[hittman]

There are many brands to choose from in different strengths. The mini portions are usually 4-6mg, regular portions are around 8mg, strong are 11-13 and extra strong are from 14 on up. I like an extra strong in the morning and do ok with regulars the rest of the day. There's no magic formula that I know of to tell you what strength to buy. I would first find flavors that you like and then pick a few different strengths to try from there. I like thunder for my extra strong and use general mint regular portions the rest of the day. Somewhere in this forum is a beginners guide to snus. That might help.

 

[hittman]

I forgot to mention, you might want to try some Wta liquid too.

 

[adammg]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was thinking more along the lines of American dip like tobaccos. Not many places locally to find Snus saw a sign the other day for General at a Murphy. Probably should've added I've had a little experience with dip mostly Skoal when I was young. Wintergreen LC & Pouches/Bandits, Cherry LC, Berry Blend even Grizzly Wintergreen LC which I hated. As far as WTA e liquid, always been leery of it. Already inhaling something we aren't sure of then adding another thing. Main reason vaping isn't working for me is I have a VG sensitivity and more vendors are creating higher and higher VG ratios. PG e liquids are out there, but mainly chinese offerings. Also tired of the fiddling and problems with devices and DYI.

 

[Guttermouth]

to be completely honest, american dip is no better in the "we don't know what's in it" department. the reason swedish snus is listed as a safer alternative to smoking is because the manufacturers list exactly what is in it and how it is made and has a proven track record.most moist tobaccos,pipe tobaccos and chewing tobacco also use vg as a moisturizing agent......

find a general snus dealer in your area (they have a dealer locator on their site- or just order some online) and try it out.even with having to order it, it's way cheaper than a daily cigarette habit. the minis are a good starting point for a pad habit for most people.

 

[ckquatt]

I used to order all my snus from www.buysnus.com. I was a pack and a half a day Marlboro 72 gold pack smoker when I tried snus to quit the first time. (It works, the wife didnt like it so I stopped using it).

I used the extra strong portions most of the time and they did wonders for cravings! Thunder makes about the best minty and natural tobacco flavors (to me). Skruf is also good for fruity flavors.

Just keep some water handy the first day or so cause you'll get the hiccups swallowing until your body gets used to the nicotine. The extra strong packs a wallop!



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[Waho]

If you're into mint, you can't go wrong with General mint. 8mg nicotine per portion for the regular and 4mg for the mini's I think?

Grab a can of mint mini's and give them a shot I'd say. That way you can always "double bag" if one portion doesn't cut it.

I've only ever used a can of Grizzly Mint pouches when I couldn't get snus. I read somewhere that Grizzly pouches are 6mg nicotine.

 

[Stubby]

A few things to keep in mind as far as nicotine content. The .8 to 1.6 mg mentioned is the absorbed nicotine, meaning how much you body takes in. The actual amount is around 10 mg in a cigarette. Cigarettes have a low efficiency of about 10% absorption. Smokeless tobacco is a bit better then that in general with about 15% to 30%. Smokeless tobacco is also absorbed differently then cigarettes as it comes on a good deal slower, but last longer. You don't need to do 20 hits a day of smokeless, as most people will do less then half of that. It really is apples and oranges. The only way to figure out what works for you is to experiment with different strengths. Your body will tell you whats working and what isn't.

I do have some disagreement with those who say snus is far superior to dip. Health wise there is no discernible difference as far as cancer, heart disease, etc (meaning little to no risk). I use mostly snus but I do occasionally get a can of Copenhagen and quite enjoy it. What ever gets you off the smokes is the best for you. All forms of smokeless tobacco in the US are dramatically less harmful then cigarettes. Trying to split hairs between different types of smokeless is a fools errand.

Having said that dip is harder on the gums, likely because of the sugar or molasses. Swedish snus uses no sugar so avoids those issues.

 

[The Rebel]

Here's another perspective for you from a former smoker. I was a PAD Marlboro Light smoker for thirty years. When I was trying to make the switch to vaping I just couldn't kick the habit completely. Still had to have the morning smoke, before bed smoke, and a couple in between. When I heard about snus and did some research, I found a local store that sold General using their store locator on their website. Bought some and dropped the smokes immediately. That was close to two years ago.

I use, at the most, five portions a day (most of the time it's four portions) of regular strength snus and vape whenever I feel like it. I've never been a firm believer that you get much nicotine from vaping, but it helps with the hand to mouth habit. I imagine if I really wanted, I could quit vaping completely and just make do with snus. It provides the nicotine and tobacco alkaloids that I was getting from cigarettes without the cancer risk.

If you enjoy tobacco flavor try the General Original or White if the Original feels too wet. The Mint is good for a change when you need it. Avoid the Wintergreen at all cost. That stuff is toxic and as momma would say, "It's da Debil" Just kidding, but it's very comparable to Skoal or Grizzly Wintergreen which I always hated so my opinion on that one is slightly biased. Good luck!