The use of snus, mainly so-called white nicotine snus, has increased sharply among young people in Sweden since white snus was introduced in 2016.
It has increased especially among girls who had not previously used snus to a large extent, as there was only brown tobacco snus to choose from, says Martina Zetterqvist at the Central Association for Alcohol and Drug Information, CAN.
“First time”
However, CAN's national school survey for 2025 shows no continued improvement.
This is the first time that we have not seen an increase in any of the groups, neither among boys nor girls in ninth grade and high school, says Zetterqvist.
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In 2025, 14 percent of ninth graders and 27 percent of second year high school students used snus, which does not correspond to any statistically significant change from 2024.
Tightening up on advertising
Even though it is too early to talk about a trend reversal, it is a positive result, says Zetterqvist.
There is an age limit for a reason and young people are more sensitive to the effects of nicotine.
It's hard to say what the reason is. A possible partial explanation could be that for a few years now there have been rules that prohibit nicotine products from being marketed to people under 25, she says.
The group that is in ninth grade today has not been exposed to this marketing in the same way.
The report also measures young people's experiences with alcohol, drugs, doping and gambling. No major changes are noted in these categories.
