Snus and football: Warning over potential side effects

Have you heard of high-profile football players and fans talking about snus?

Gary Lineker, ex-player and now presenter, has spoken out on his podcast The Rest is Football about his experience with snus.

He said it left him vomiting on the bathroom floor for seven hours.

Jamie Vardy, now a Cremonese player, admitted to using snus in 2016.

In 2018 he said he had quit, due to the “bad press” surrounding the product.

Snus is a pouch often tucked between the lip and gum that distributes nicotine straight into the bloodstream.

In the UK, it is also referred to as nicotine pouches, as it does not contain tobacco unlike similar products available in countries such as Sweden, Egypt, and Afghanistan.

The NHS strongly discourages the use of snus and says that more research is required into the product.

Current confirmed side effects identified in studies conducted by the NHS, British Dental Journal, and ASH (action on smoking and health), include gum recession, ulcers, nausea, and an increased risk of high blood pressure.

According to the Professional Footballers Association and Loughborough University, one in five professional players regularly use snus.

But the use of snus in lower leagues is less clear.

Craig Davis, Winchester City manager, said he would not be placing a ban on snus anytime soon, as there was not “enough widespread knowledge of what it is and what it does” in order to make a decision.

But City players agreed that they have seen a rise in popularity of the product in their league.

But Davis, believes that “it’s not massively used” in the club.