How many people on earth use snuff?

Johano

This question occupied my mind for a while. I am talking about daily users. Do you think there is a way to estimate it somehow? I cant imagine how big or small this number is, millions, or maybe thousands snufftakers worldwide?

sixphoto

Snuff is used extensively in India both nasally as well as orally as a dentifirce.The number of users could be in millions .

volunge

IARC monographs vol. 37 mentions that world production of snuff tobacco for nasal use amounts to about 1 million kg per year (1983). It provides outdated, but still interesting and extensive data on smokeless tobacco use.

IARC monographs 100E presents some updated data. Talking about India, "The India Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2009–10) revealed that 26% of all adults usesmokeless tobacco in some form, 21.4% daily and 4.5% occasionally. Prevalence in men (32.9%) is higher than in women (18.4%), and is higher in rural (29.3%) than urban areas (17.7%). Large variations are observed between States, from around 5% in Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Chandigarh to 49% in Bihar (India GATS Report, 2009–10). Khaini is the most commonly used smokeless tobacco product (11.6%), followed by gutka (8.2%). Prevalence of khaini chewing is significantly higher among men (18%) than among women (5%); 13.1% men and 2.9% women chew
gutka; 6.2% (7.5% men, 4.9% women) of adults use betel quid with tobacco; 4.7% (3.3% men, 6.3% women) use tobacco products such as mishri, gul, gudakhu for oral application (dentifrice); and 4.4% uses some other products, such as snuff for nasal application and some local products. The pattern of use of smokeless tobacco products also varies widely in different States of India."

India population - 1210854977 (2011 census), 4.4% equals to 53 milions (rounded) users of "other [smokeless tobacco] products, such as snuff for nasal application and some local products".

Some valuable (albeit outdated) data about dry snuff annual production amounts is provided in IARC monographs vol. 89. Sales of dry snuff in the USA declined steadily from 3678.7 tonnes in 1986 to 1526.2 tonnes in 2001. However, I think it is safe to assume that domestic dry snuff is predominantly used orally there.

By the way, in 1925-1930 snuff sales in Poland almost equaled sales in the United Kingdom (390 and 410 tonnes, respectively).

Personally, I qualify as daily user for last 5 years. My weekly intake ranges from 10 g to 15 g (roughly 0.5-0.75 kg per year). I do use oral tobacco occasionally - 40 g a week, when I manage to get hold of it (actual consumption is about 1 kg yearly). On average, one tobacco plant gives 50 g tobacco (not counting sand leaves); I would need to grow 30-50 plants for my needs every year.

Johano

Thanks for the input. I also have found population-based study in the Polish Internet users:
"1,236 respondents took part in a survey (68% man, 32% woman), the mean age was 26±6.8 years. 81% at least once had contact with snuff , 37% consumes it regularly. Snuff is mostly consumed by young men (84%). The first contact with the snuff occurs between 13-16 years (43%) and 17-19 years (35%), during meetings with friends (43%) and in educational institutions (28%). Snuff was often accompanied by alcohol (28%). The main side effects of snuff usage were: dryness of the nasal mucosa, dizziness, chronic rhinitis, rapid heart rate, nosebleeds and nausea (16, 12, 8, 8, 6, 6%, respectively). There was no correlation between the snuff consumption and cancer or respiratory and cardiovascular diseases."

volunge

In 2019, Polish 15-64 years old population segment made 67% of total PL population 38 383 000 in 2019.

67% of 38383000 = 0.67 × 38383000 = 25716610

37% of 25716610 = 0.37 × 25716610 = 9515145.7 or 9.5 million regular snuff users in Poland, if results of this study could be applied to 15-64 y. segment.

Talking about Europe, nasal snuff is legal in all countries bar the Baltics - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - and Finland. Nasal snuff is produced only in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the UK (as far as I know, Polish brands are contracted snuffs).

We can go further, that's interesting.

Hoffwell

All I kow is that in ten years of snufftaking in the UK I have never met another snufftaker, nor obsereved anyone else taking snuff.

But then again, you rarely see a pipe smoker nowadays and theres plenty of places still selling pipe baccy or even cigars.

Must all be done 'behind closed doors'.

volunge

One old source claimed there were about 500 000 regular snuff users in Britain (1979).

Hoffwell

@volunge The UK population in 1979 was around 56 million so the often claimed 500,000 users represented around only one percent of the population even then.

volunge

This 2002 Poschl promo mentions about 1 000 000 snuffers in Germany. https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article313157/Schnupftabak-fuer-die-Snowboarder-Generation.html

Humppa

Interesting topic.

I dont know if there are actually 1 million snuffers in Germany. athat would mean about 1,25 percent of the population at 80 million germans. I dont think it is that much at least not regularly snuffers. It is popular here though. Many people use snuff occasionally.

I have no idea how much popularity snuff has outside of Germany or Austria.

Due to smoking restrictions in the last few years there could be more snuffers - globally spoken.

Keep your opinions going... as I almost mentioned - very interesting topic.

denovan

I had heard/advised that Germany had 1.5 million snuff takers. And in UK around 1 million.  Many Ladies take snuff but do so 'secretly'.  An old joke was that a Lady who said she was off to powder her nose was actually going for a pinch of snuff!!

Gormur

Not too significant for stats but I told this guy in my dad's band (music) when we were talking about tobacco that I use snuff and I did a hand motion to my nose.  He said his mom uses it and this guy is in his 50s, so it's still alive here at least in that sense

Like nobody I know uses it in my family, or rather basically nobody uses tobacco in my family besides a 1st cousin 1st removed who used to smoke.  Okay, I'll stop rambling hehe

crow

Was looking for some Taxi Red online recently and found this article on snuff taking in South Africa. 16% of South African women take snuff according to their research.