As footballers increasingly turn to nicotine products to manage stress and performance anxiety, tobacco companies have found new ways to keep them hooked. White Snus, a product that contains pure nicotine without tobacco leaves, has become a game-changer for the industry. By branding it as a cleaner, safer alternative to traditional tobacco, companies have bypassed strict regulations while still delivering a highly addictive product.

This part will explore how tobacco giants exploited legal loopholes to flood the market with White Snus, how aggressive marketing campaigns targeted athletes, and why football has become a key battleground for nicotine addiction.

The Legal Loophole That Changed Everything

For decades, governments across Europe imposed strict laws on tobacco sales, advertisements, and public use. Sweden, for example, cracked down heavily on traditional tobacco products, leading to one of the lowest smoking rates in the world. However, the laws were written with one primary focus—tobacco itself.

This created an opportunity for companies to develop White Snus, which contains nicotine but no tobacco leaves. Without actual tobacco content, it fell outside many of the existing regulations.

• In Sweden, high taxes were placed on tobacco-based products, but White Snus avoided them entirely since it contained only nicotine.
• Advertising bans that applied to cigarettes and Snus did not apply to White Snus, allowing companies to market freely.
• Some countries banned Snus but did not include White Snus in the legislation, leading to an explosion in online sales.

By rebranding nicotine as a standalone substance rather than a tobacco byproduct, companies successfully avoided decades of anti-smoking laws while keeping their customer base intact.

The Marketing Playbook That Targeted Footballers

With legal loopholes working in their favor, tobacco companies turned to aggressive marketing strategies to push White Snus into new markets. Footballers became a primary target for these campaigns, both intentionally and unintentionally.

• White Snus was promoted as a performance-enhancing aid rather than a harmful substance. Marketing suggested that nicotine could improve focus, reduce stress, and help players stay sharp during matches.
• The packaging was designed to blend in with everyday items like chewing gum or energy supplements, making it easy for players to use without drawing attention.
• Social media influencers, some of whom were former or current athletes, were paid to showcase White Snus in their daily routines. Without strict advertising bans, these promotions spread rapidly across platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Footballers themselves contributed to the growing trend. When players were caught using White Snus, it was often framed as a normal part of the game rather than a harmful addiction. Some clubs even supplied it to players, either out of ignorance or because they saw no reason to regulate a legal product.

Why White Snus Became Even More Addictive

While traditional Snus already contained significant amounts of nicotine, White Snus took addiction to another level. Without tobacco, manufacturers could increase nicotine levels without restrictions. Many White Snus products now contain double or triple the nicotine found in cigarettes, making them far more potent.

• Players who started with casual use quickly developed higher tolerances, leading to increased consumption.
• The lack of tobacco convinced users that White Snus was safer, encouraging more frequent use.
• Some brands introduced flavored options, further appealing to younger users and first-time consumers.

What seemed like a cleaner alternative to smoking turned out to be an even more efficient way to deliver high doses of nicotine, making it harder to quit.

Football’s Slow Response to the Growing Problem

Despite the rapid spread of White Snus in football, governing bodies and clubs have been slow to respond. The lack of tobacco content has made it difficult to classify as a harmful substance under traditional anti-smoking policies.

• The World Anti-Doping Agency has placed nicotine on its monitored substances list, meaning it is being studied but is not yet banned.
• Many football clubs have no official stance on White Snus, leaving players to make their own choices.
• Unlike alcohol or recreational drugs, White Snus does not visibly impair performance, allowing players to continue using it without immediate consequences.

Without clear regulations, the responsibility has fallen on individual clubs and medical staff to address the issue. Some teams have begun educating players on the risks, while others have introduced internal bans to discourage use. However, without a unified approach, nicotine addiction continues to thrive in football.

Coming Up Next: Can Football Break the Cycle of Nicotine Addiction?

In Part 5, the focus will shift to football’s battle with nicotine dependency. Can clubs and governing bodies put an end to the growing White Snus trend? Will players take responsibility for their own health, or will nicotine addiction become as ingrained in football as energy drinks and painkillers? The next section will dive into the efforts being made to curb nicotine use and whether they are enough to make a real difference.

Sources

Why does Ben White not watch football? Arsenal star makes honest admission amid absence from England’s Euro 2024 squad
How does nicotine work?
What Is Nicotine?
The Secret Footballer: 'Players don't care what fans think'
The Secret Footballer: it will be love and hate with the fans, so just accept it
Nicotine dependence
Tobacco use declines despite tobacco industry efforts to jeopardize progress
History of snus
Half of players using snus would like to stop - study
Snus: Several players seeking help for addiction, says Professional Footballers Association
Snus use in football: the threat of a new addiction?
“Effects of snus administration on sport performance”
Special report: Why is snus rife in football?
Football’s addiction to sleeping pills – ‘a disease spreading quietly across the game’
How English football got hooked on snus: ‘Players don’t understand the threat of it’
England forward Jamie Vardy reveals he's stopped using snus after last season's backlash