So THIS is the Dark Side...

[Kurt]

Day 1 of snus, after getting in my order from Northerner (4 day delivery, but you have to be home to sign for the package!). Analogs still occasionally haunt my world, in spite of vaping from excellent PVs, so I decided to give snus a try. Knowing nothing of what to expect, but not wanting sweetened Camel snus, and reading much on the relative safety of swedish snus, I gave it a go with a nice variety of types and portion sizes.

Got 1 can each of:

Ettan original portion
Dry Catch licorice, mini
White Catch licorice, potion
Offroad licorice, portion (I love licorice)
General dry mini mint
General mint portion
Oden's classic portion
Jakobsson's Ice Fruit portion

Today I tried the General mini mint, White catch licorice, and I have an Ettan portion in right now. I must say it is far more pleasant than I expected! I get the salt, but I do not mind it at all, and the effect is striking. Takes a few minutes for a portion to start kicking in, but I would describe it as relaxed satisfaction without the edginess of vaping too much, or the negatives of smoking analogs. I like the flavors, even this Ettan, and they are all much more mild than I expected. At least to me they are.

I found it entertaining that any snus has to have huge lettered labels warning of mouth cancer, teeth falling out, gum disease. Even in 7-11's that sell camel snus, it is big 5 inch letters on a big sign warning of mouth cancer.

The warning on my pack of Winston Lights: smoke contains carbon monoxide.

Can someone say "AGENDA", please?

I little burny of the gum with the Ettan, which may get worse over the next few days, from what I read, but I gotta say there really is something very very nice and effective about these little pouches of swedish tobacco. So far so good.

People to sincerely thank for getting me thinking about snus, and finally trying it:

Stubby (your opus magnum post was SO informative!)
TV
OTD
Switched ("Come to the Dark Side, Kurt...you know its your destiny." )
DVap, and the rest of the WTA explorers, and a whole bunch of others that mentioned how well it does for them.

One question: all the cans have a small inner lid that covers a small chamber. I take it that is for putting a few portions in to easily get them over the day, or is there something else this chamber is for?

Thanks everyone. Now where is that flashlight? Its dark over here...

 

[Katya]

AGENDA!

Hello, Kurt, and welcome to the wrong side of the tracks.

What took you so long?

 

[slybootz]

Welcome to the smokeless side of the forum!

One question: all the cans have a small inner lid that covers a small chamber. I take it that is for putting a few portions in to easily get them over the day, or is there something else this chamber is for?

Thanks everyone. Now where is that flashlight? Its dark over here...

The small chamber on snus cans is for putting your used snus pouches in after you're done with them. Avoids litter on the ground! Go green, with snus!!

 

[mozzstyxx]

Hi! i also found that after 4 days of pure vape i was going nuts for a cigarette, snus is working for now. I have found that the outer chamber is sometimes referred to as the "ashtray"

 

[hittman]

Welcome Kurt. I am glad that you are doing well with the snus. I too like licorice but didn't care much for the offroad licorice although I do like some of their others. My favorite licorice snus are the catch regular portion and LD black. I'm not sure if you can still buy the LD in the US. You are right about snus not being a quick fix. It does take a little bit for you to feel the benefits. I hope you have better luck with the iced fruit than I did. The only thing I could taste with that one was pure salt. That's the only can that I have ever thrown away. Feel free to jump in on the "what's under your lip/in your nose" thread. It's kinda of a general discussion thread to talk about just about anything and we usually post what we are using at the time.

 

[Kurt]

AGENDA!

Hello, Kurt, and welcome to the wrong side of the tracks.

What took you so long?

Money, mostly. And the time to actually dig into the info and decide if it might be for me. I will admit that it seemed just gross when people were first talking about it here.

I'm liking this jakobsson ice fruit!! In fact, all the ones I got are quite good. Surprisingly so. And there is this "oh, yeah" feeling shortly after you pop one in that is so nice, like a warm bath.

Thanks for the welcome, and the tip on that chamber...will use it greenly! Always did like the wrong side of the tracks.

 

[hittman]

Good for you Kurt. Maybe the iced fruit I got was bad or something. That's great you are liking all of the ones you got.

 

[AllCoExPat]

Hi Kurt. Wish I had met you a few weeks ago... Ice Fruit is the only snus I've ever tossed out before finishing the can! Of course the variety of different tastes is one of the things that makes this habit great. Snus on!

 

[Kurt]

The ice fruit doesn't really taste like either to me. Maybe a bit of mint, not a lot of fruit, but some, but overall I do like the taste. Its all very new to me, and I may think differently of it before I finish the can. Today at work it is General Mint or Ettan Original.

So far this stuff is amazing. Analog craving is gone, and I don't have to be revved up on 24 mg juice anymore. I have my box mod with me, but the carto has 6 mg juice in it, and I hit from it about 1/10th as much as before snus, if not much less.

But I'm just starting this journey. Still trying flavors, and getting to know kick levels...and how much I want to look like I've been hit in the mouth. Probably not a lot. I gave a lecture to a student in our research group today with a portion under the lip, and she didn't even notice...and she is the type that would say something if she did notice.

I may be wrong, but it seems that when you stop tasting the salt, the portion is done. About an hour or so for a regular portion.

Mmmmmmmm...snus goooooooood.

 

[hittman]

I'm glad you are off to such a good start with snus. I've snused about anywhere you could think of and no one has noticed that I know of.

 

[AllCoExPat]

The only time I know for sure anyone noticed is one time I sneezed in a meeting and the snus made an enfortunate escape from under my lip to under the conference room table.

 

[hittman]

You could have told them that you had a tooth pulled and that it was packing to keep it from bleeding. So how did you explain it?

 

[AllCoExPat]

Actually, I didn't. Just let them contemplate and come to their own conclusions. A couple of the people in the room have seen the snus cans sitting on my desk, so it shouldn't be a big mystery... in theory.

 

[Kurt]

Herbal remedy to treat temporary psychosis. Or, since you sneezed, allergies.

 

[hittman]

Ooh, I didn't think about playing the crazy card. Good one Kurt!

 

[AllCoExPat]

Haha. My playing the crazy card wouldn't seem all that unusual for most of the people I work with.

 

[TWISTED VICTOR]

Herbal remedy to treat temporary psychosis....hmmm. I wonder if the tobacco nazi management would buy that?? I think I'll tuck that one in the ol' ammo bag. If I should get backed into a corner I could drool some, howl and scratch a few fleas, point out that I know the HR guy is really an android watching me in the shower, then roll my eyes to the back of my head and sing "Super Freak" while sitting on the boss' lap. Then I pop a snus and all is well. Do ya think howling would be too much?

 

[hittman]

Yeah but how will they be able to tell the difference between this howling and the normal howling TV?

 

[Kitabz]

The only time I know for sure anyone noticed is one time I sneezed in a meeting and the snus made an enfortunate escape from under my lip to under the conference room table.

That would be too funny/awful!
I have visions of a soggy snus sliding down the presentation screen in the nightmare version of the above.

The thing about most people is that almost everyone is too polite to mention something that they think is amiss.
That lip bulge might be some kind of deformity or growth or something so no-one says anything.

... but one day someone is going to say "what the **** have you got in your mouth?"

 

[DVap]

Yeah but how will they be able to tell the difference between this howling and the normal howling TV?

Anyone who doesn't howl at the moon now and again probably isn't normal.

Funny, after all my going on about snus, I personally don't use the stuff.. maybe Camel mellow every now and again... but I stick with my boring vape consisting of nothing but 2:1 VG/PG with 12 mg nicotine... no flavor, no nuthin'. Still can't seem to quit it, though I've tried.