Snus... concentration?

[MonkeyMonk]

I spent about a half an hour trying to read through the snus related threads to no avail. Thus, I'm posting because I'd like to get the information before trying snus.

As an analog smoker my cigarettes are 1.2mg nicotine/cigarette according to: Erowid Tobacco Vault : Info on Nicotine Content of Cigarette Brands

I bought a Camel Frost 15 pouch tin. It displays no information about mg of nicotine.

I also, read this informational news article: News

According to the news article above:

..."One Camel Snus, which come in a .6 gram portioned pouch, contains 8.1 mg of nicotine, according to R.J. Reynolds spokesman David Howard. The tea-bag like pouch allows users to hold the product in their mouths and eventually swallow the tobacco juice, which does not require spitting like other chewing tobacco products.

A cigarette can contain around 10 mg of nicotine - although Howard places the figure higher at 15 to 25 mg - according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The number can vary depending on the type and brand of cigarette, plus the smoker does not inhale all the nicotine in a cigarette. The National Institute on Drug Abuse report states that smokers take in 1 to 2 mg of nicotine per cigarette." ...

The questions are:
Is snus a lot stronger than my analogs?
Could the occasional use of snus increase my addiction to nicotine?

I am asking these questions because there are numerous times during the month when I have to spend hours at doctors offices and hospital facilities due to the needs of loved ones, and it is not possible to walk outside and grab a smoke.

(e-cigs are a great alternative, but the snus is definitely more portable and would not require me to leave their presence. However, I do not want to get any more hooked on nicotine.)

 

[smokingclam]

Hey Monk I think that report is a little bit off. I think I remember TropicalBob posting they were about 3mg of nic per pouch. I just got into snus this week myself and bought the General mini mint and the white portion. After checking on Northener.com I found that the mini contained 4mg and the white portion 8mg. Tried the Camel frost today and it is wimpy compared to the General stuff I bought. Taste was nice just not the hit I got from General. Next paycheck I'm going to place an order from Northener I think cause the price is a lot cheaper. I may be wrong on the nic content on the Camel stuff so don't take my word on it. I'm sure one of the experts will answer later. Just using the 2 I can tell its weaker though. Good luck in your snus adventures. I'm glad I tried it.

 

[TropicalBob]

That's seem really high for the Camel. I'm using one as I type -- and these are very weak in nicotine. 8mg? I really doubt it. Most similar-sized portions are 3mg to 4mg in nicotine.

As for cigarettes -- you will see references to both the total nicotine in a cig and the nicotine a user typically gets. You might begin with 16mg, but you intake about 1mg in 10 minutes of smoking. With a snus, you start with 4 mg and get about 1mg to 2mg in 30 minutes. The nic uptake is not nearly as spikey, however, so there's no nic kick. If you used to smoke a cigarette every 30 minutes and you substitute a snus every 30 minutes, your blood nicotine profile will be similar.

The nicotine in cigarettes mostly disappears in the second-hand smoke when you are NOT inhaling. The nicotine in snus is absorbed by the mouth, and the route to your blood stream and brain is slower.

With snus, it is easy to maintain a high blood nicotine level. But that's not very satisfying, as I've learned. It's those "spikes" a snuser misses. Some snusers today are moving to using snus AND nasal snuff. The snus maintains blood nicotine at a high level and the sniffing of nasal snuff causes a huge spike.

A bit dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, but it comes close to replicating the action of inhaled tobacco smoke.

 

[MonkeyMonk]

smokingclam and TropicalBob thank you both for responding to my questions. Both your responses helped me a lot. And, I'm grateful, too, for the comparisons, leads for purchases, and expectations as to what to expect.

When I'm confined for a long time at the doctors/hospitals, I get edgie, cranky, and stir crazy... So, yes, I think I'll take this little tin with me, and be patient for my crankiness to dissapate at those times.

 

[smokingclam]

Good luck with it Monk. I didn't think I'd like snus but boy was I wrong.
Never was one for chewing tobacco or Skoal. Had a bad experience of swallowing some Redman chew when I was younger.8-o This is totally different.