# Total Ban On Moist Snuff ("Dip") In The E.U. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876 "2011-10-17T02:38:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/21 "2011-10-18T10:35:07Z")
> [@abel29a](#): > > Thankfully, Norway and Sweden had the traditions established, so we are exempt. Also, EU countries doesn’t ban snus, merely sale, so we can bring with us a plentyfull cache of the stuff whenever abroad… A Finnish friend has told me how his friends back home have to be updated about who works in which ferry and when will he be on shore leave so that he can bring snus. > [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m confused. I thought snuff, by definition, is inhaled. And it’s not people in the past who use it. It’s still used, although I really haven’t seen it in the US, just in Germany and perhaps the UK. I can from my own experience say that it is also used in Tunisia. A friend and I were on a bus trip while on holiday and the guide introduced us to the country, explaining the importance of camels in the Tunisian economy etc. She passed around samples of things that we could look at, smell, taste, whatever and when a little paper bag with snuff came our way we just had to try it. When she heard our sneezing the guide announced over the PA system “I can hear that someone has tried the local _nefta_ and I must say that I don’t know exactly what’s in it, but I think it’s a mix of tobacco and camel droppings”. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/22 "2011-10-18T11:08:45Z")
There can’t be a total ban on snuff in the EU: it’s legal here in the UK, I saw it on sale in a pub in London a few weeks ago. They’re selling it online as well on [this page](http://www.davy.co.uk/cs/cps/cigars-and-snuff/buy-snuff-online.html). EDIT: Ah, I think that’s “dry snuff” which you inhale, as opposed to “moist snuff” which you rub on the gums. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/23 "2011-10-18T11:10:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > and has this overwhelming weird odor to it Mate, all snus does. Like how a smoker becomes less sensitive to cigarette smoke, snus users become less sensitive to how putrid that crap smells. When you open your little tub everyone around you can smell it and it is really quite nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/24 "2011-10-18T12:09:18Z")
> [@isaiahrobinson](#): > > EDIT: Ah, I think that’s “dry snuff” which you inhale, as opposed to “moist snuff” which you rub on the gums. So it is. “Nose snuff” as opposed to “lip snuff”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/25 "2011-10-18T12:11:34Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Mate, all snus does. Like how a smoker becomes less sensitive to cigarette smoke, snus users become less sensitive to how putrid that crap smells. When you open your little tub everyone around you can smell it and it is really quite nasty. No, no, no. I mean a weird odor for snus. I know snus smells. I’m one of those people who will stock up on snus for a month, then forget about it for three months after I run out, so it’s not like I’ve ruined my nose for its smell. Personally, even before I tried it, I liked its smell, just like I like the smell of cigar smoke (even though I don’t smoke cigars) and pipe smoke. Cigarette smoke I don’t much like, though. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/26 "2011-10-18T13:44:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Personally, even before I tried it, I liked its smell, just like I like the smell of cigar smoke (even though I don’t smoke cigars) and pipe smoke. Cigarette smoke I don’t much like, though. I wonder about the mechanism for that - I dislike cigarette smoke, and also cigar smoke (and cigarillos smell worse than either) - but I really like pipe smoke. (Non-smoker). ---
**Author:** ![Maaaaxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Maaaaxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maaaaxx)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/27 "2013-08-08T03:32:09Z")
Hello i have a question. Im in the usa for vacation and i live in france. Could it be possible to bring back two or three cans of dip in my suitcase to france or will i be stopped at the luggage check ? I dont want to take any risks though if its really illegal ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/28 "2013-08-08T04:04:36Z")
> [@Maaaaxx](#): > > Hello i have a question. Im in the usa for vacation and i live in france. Could it be possible to bring back two or three cans of dip in my suitcase to france or will i be stopped at the luggage check ? I dont want to take any risks though if its really illegal I can’t comment on the legality of it. All I know is that I have traveled to France many times as well as other European counties and it has never been an issue. I just put it in my luggage and it never came up. I didn’t even know it was somehow illegal. ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/29 "2013-08-09T15:54:25Z")
There’s no problem bringing snus into EU countries for personal use. They even sell it in the duty-free shops at Swedish airports. You just can’t sell it in non-scandinavian EU countries. Except Iceland, I guess (reading the post above). ---
**Author:** ![Gbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/30 "2013-08-10T01:31:07Z")
Back in 73 or 74 when I was in Germany playing war games called Reforger 4 or 5 I was taste testing some Good German Brew and when I took out my Copenhagen Tobacco and loaded my lip, i offered the can to those I was drinking with. Well they figured it was just snuff like they were familiar with and put a nice pinch on the back of their hand and snorted it up. Well after about what seemed like more than a min. of coughing and sneezing they looked up and smiled and said Gout or however that Good word is spelled. I was thinking that i maybe should exit stage left while the Gout reaction was going on but couldn’t. So maybe its banned because the Europeans are blowing head gaskets sneezing when they get it mixed up with their stuff??? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/31 "2013-08-10T04:15:22Z")
> [@Gbro](#): > > So maybe its banned because the Europeans are blowing head gaskets sneezing when they get it mixed up with their stuff??? 😃 I realize you’re probably just kidding and relaying an amusing anecdote, but it’s much more likely to be banned (if it is - I don’t know) because it’s orders of magnitude more carcinogenic (and fucking nasty with the spitting) than their stuff. ---
**Author:** ![slm2955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@slm2955](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slm2955)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/32 "2013-08-10T04:17:01Z")
Awsomeness 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/33 "2013-08-10T13:36:53Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > I realize you’re probably just kidding and relaying an amusing anecdote, but it’s much more likely to be banned (if it is - I don’t know) because it’s orders of magnitude more carcinogenic (and fucking nasty with the spitting) than their stuff. You’re confusing american style dip/chewing tobacco with snus. They are not the same. Snus may increase the risk of cancer, but so far (AFAIK) no study has been able to show a definite link. In Sweden over 1 million people out of a population of less than 10 million use snus, yet the mouth and throat cancer rate in Sweden is no higher than other European countries where there is no snus. At the very least, snus is vastly less carcinogenic than dip. Furthermore, snus does not require any spitting. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/34 "2013-08-10T14:06:38Z")
> [@zwede](#): > > You’re confusing american style dip/chewing tobacco with snus. They are not the same. Snus may increase the risk of cancer, but so far (AFAIK) no study has been able to show a definite link. In Sweden over 1 million people out of a population of less than 10 million use snus, yet the mouth and throat cancer rate in Sweden is no higher than other European countries where there is no snus. At the very least, snus is vastly less carcinogenic than dip. > > Furthermore, snus does not require any spitting. Maybe I wasn’t clear, but you’re agreeing with what I was trying to say. American style snuff and the whole spitting thing = nasty. ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/35 "2013-08-10T14:17:45Z")
Ah, sorry. I thought you were referring to snus. Reading it again you were talking about that vile dip stuff. Yes, the American style is awful. Luckily the US is more enlightened than the EU in that you can buy real Swedish snus in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Gbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876/36 "2013-08-11T01:19:55Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > I realize you’re probably just kidding and relaying an amusing anecdote, but it’s much more likely to be banned (if it is - I don’t know) because it’s orders of magnitude more carcinogenic (and fucking nasty with the spitting) than their stuff. Yes it is a terrible nasty messy habit, however when one is using they rarely care where they spit. In the mines there are always signs around drinking fountains “No Spitting” but it stops very few. I have worked with some that absolutely never spit and even put in a load before a nap, or a firearms instructor i had years ago that never spit through the whole class! Hell i was doing it, what would you call it, sympathetically or something?? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-ban-on-moist-snuff-dip-in-the-e-u/599876.md?page=1)