In the UK, "snus" has become everyday shorthand for nicotine pouches, but the two aren't the same product. This guide explains what snus actually is, how it differs from the tobacco-free nicotine pouches sold in the UK, and the terms you'll see on cans and in shops.
What is snus?
Snus is a Swedish oral tobacco. People in Sweden have used it for around 200 years, according to a 2013 scientific literature review published by the US Food and Drug Administration. You place a small portion under your top lip, where nicotine passes through the lining of your mouth. Nothing is burned, chewed or inhaled.
Snus belongs to a family of products called moist snuff. The difference lies in how the tobacco gets processed. American-style moist snuff is fermented. Scandinavian-style moist snuff, which is snus, is heat-treated (pasteurised) instead.
What's in snus?
The same review describes Swedish snus as mainly air-cured tobacco, water and salt. Manufacturers add small amounts of other ingredients to hold moisture, stabilise the pH, preserve the product and add flavour. Traditional snus is about 50% water, which is why it feels damp.
The key point: snus contains tobacco leaf. That single ingredient decides how the law treats it.
Loose snus and portion snus
Snus comes in two formats. Loose snus is a damp powder that users press into a small wad by hand. Portion snus comes pre-packed in small porous pouches, which is the format most people picture. Both go between the gum and lip.
What are nicotine pouches?
Nicotine pouches borrow the portion-snus format but drop the tobacco. A 2020 NHS London user guide lists their ingredients as nicotine, water, plant-based fibres, flavourings and sweeteners. BAT, which makes VELO, describes its pouches the same way: nicotine, water and other ingredients, placed between the gum and upper lip so the nicotine absorbs through the lining of the mouth.
Because they contain no tobacco leaf, the pouches usually look white rather than brown. For how to use one, see our guide to using nicotine pouches.
Snus vs nicotine pouches
| Snus | Nicotine pouches | |
|---|---|---|
| Contains tobacco | Yes: ground, heat-treated tobacco | No tobacco leaf |
| Main ingredients | Tobacco, water, salt, flavourings | Nicotine, water, plant fibres, flavourings, sweeteners |
| Colour | Usually brown | Usually white |
| How it's used | Under the lip | Under the lip |
| Legal to sell in the UK | No | Yes, to adults (18+ from 29 October 2026) |
| Example brands | Swedish snus brands | VELO, ZYN, Killa, Pablo |
Is VELO snus?
No. VELO is a tobacco-free nicotine pouch made by British American Tobacco (BAT). BAT sells VELO as its leading "Modern Oral" brand and lists traditional oral products, including moist snuff and snus, as a separate category. The manufacturer itself doesn't call VELO snus.
The same applies to every nicotine pouch sold legally in the UK. Selling tobacco for oral use is illegal here, so any pouch you can buy in a UK shop, including ZYN, Killa and Pablo, has to be tobacco-free. You can browse the brands we stock in our nicotine pouch range.
Why do people call nicotine pouches "snus"?
Habit, mostly. Pouches copied the size, shape and use of Swedish portion snus, and the name followed them. Swedish speakers even distinguish the two: they commonly call nicotine pouches vitt snus ("white snus") and tobacco snus brunt snus ("brown snus").
In the UK the distinction matters more than the label. "Snus" in everyday speech usually means a nicotine pouch. "Snus" in UK law means a tobacco product you can't legally buy.
What does snus do?
Snus delivers nicotine. Held under the lip, the pouch releases nicotine that absorbs through the lining of the mouth into the bloodstream. Users typically notice a tingle and the effects of nicotine. That's also what snus is used for: a way of taking nicotine without smoke or vapour. Nicotine pouches work the same way, minus the tobacco.
Health questions deserve a proper answer from a health professional rather than a retailer. What the law says is clear: EU rules ban snus to prevent the spread of a product the legislation describes as addictive and with adverse health effects. If you have concerns about snus, nicotine or your health, speak to a pharmacist or your GP, or visit the NHS stop smoking service.
Is snus a drug?
Snus contains nicotine, an addictive substance, so in everyday terms, yes. Legally, UK law treats snus as a tobacco product rather than an illegal drug. The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 makes it an offence to manufacture snus, to sell it or offer it for sale, or to have it with intent to supply it in the course of business. Its offences target making, selling and supplying snus.
Is snus legal in the UK?
Selling it isn't. UK law bans selling tobacco for oral use, and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 restates that ban. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches fall outside it: they're legal to sell to adults, and from 29 October 2026 it's an offence to sell them to anyone under 18. Our guide to snus and nicotine pouch laws in the UK covers the rules in full, and our guide to how old you have to be to buy nicotine products covers the age rules.
Rules abroad vary. France banned nicotine pouches from 1 April 2026, for example. If you're travelling, check our guide to vaping on holiday.
Snus and nicotine pouch terms explained
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Snus | Swedish moist oral tobacco, heat-treated rather than fermented. Illegal to sell in the UK. |
| Portion snus | Snus pre-packed in small porous pouches. |
| Loose snus | Snus sold as a damp powder, shaped by hand. |
| Moist snuff | The wider category of damp oral tobacco. American-style is fermented; Scandinavian-style is snus. |
| Nicotine pouch | A tobacco-free pouch containing nicotine, plant fibres, water and flavourings. Legal to sell to adults in the UK. |
| White snus / vitt snus | Everyday name, especially in Sweden, for tobacco-free nicotine pouches. |
| Modern oral | Industry term for tobacco-free nicotine pouches, used by BAT and others. |
| Chewing tobacco | Tobacco meant to be chewed. Not covered by the snus ban, which excludes products intended to be chewed. |
| Nasal snuff | Dry tobacco sniffed through the nose. Also outside the snus ban. |
Frequently asked questions
What's snus in simple terms?
A small pouch or wad of moist, pasteurised tobacco that sits under your top lip and releases nicotine.
Is ZYN snus?
No. Like VELO, ZYN is a tobacco-free nicotine pouch. All nicotine pouches legally sold in UK shops are tobacco-free.
Is snus the same as chewing tobacco?
No. You don't chew snus; it stays still under the lip. UK law also treats them differently: the snus ban covers oral tobacco that isn't meant to be chewed.
Can you buy snus in the UK?
Not legally. Selling snus is an offence in the UK. What UK shops sell as "snus" is almost always a tobacco-free nicotine pouch.
Are nicotine pouches safer than snus?
We can't answer health comparisons responsibly as a retailer. Speak to a pharmacist, your GP or the NHS stop smoking service if you want advice on nicotine and your health.