Snus UK - Secrets, Sub-Cultures & UK Future

Written by The Simon Crafts 

Published on September 04, 2025

Anyone new to snus (or nicotine pouches) may think the UK has suddenly obtained this new viral product. Outside of the screaming influencers on social media promoting these products, many of us have used these pouches for a very long time. Despite the lack of refined information as to the adoption of snus in the UK, there are some of us that know the background. In this article, I am going to share with you insights into a market that has caused both frowns and elation.

Table of Contents 

 

The UK Snus Secret

 

The UK Snus Market Now

 

Snus Culture & Trends

 

Buying Snus Online & In-Store

 

The Importance of London Snus Scene

 

Brands of Snus in The UK 

 

Future of UK Snus

 

Final Thoughts

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The UK Snus Market: Britain's Worst Kept Secret

 

For purposes of clarity, let me explain that when I speak of snus, I am explicitly speaking of the nicotine pouch variant of snus. The colloquial term snus overshadows what some know as nicotine pouches, as the traditional Swedish snus was here first. As nicotine pouches became more readily available in the UK, a name cross-pollination ensued. As such, the true name of nicotine pouches has been lost in translation, due to a product that gained popularity long before the advent of social media clout.

 

It seems that footballers get tarred with the bad brush just for sneezing in modern society. But yes, the rise of snus was accelerated by the rapid growth of snus within the sport. That fact led many to turn their noses up at the market, which was initially rife with illegal imports. Traditional Swedish snus has been banned since 1992 in the UK, along with most of Europe. For context, traditional Swedish snus contains tobacco for nicotine; nicotine pouches contain synthetic nicotine, therefore legal. As an ex-professional footballer myself I can tell you that many of us ordered snus from European countries for years. There was a technical loophole that meant snus was illegal to sell, but not to buy. Using snus was not illegal, and so we did not break the law by obtaining it.

 

Fast forward to the middle of 2010’s and nicotine pouches became the new snus. As these synthetic nicotine pouches became more popular, so did the accessibility of buying them in the UK. The cat was out of the bag for footballers, and the secret became a mainstream phenomenon that has grown year on year among all demographics.

 

 

 

What Snus Looks Like Now in The UK

 

From the days of ordering from European websites and hoping customs let your parcel through, things have moved on. The variety of snus in the UK has exploded with flavours, strengths, and brands. For anyone who remembers the early days in the mid-2000s, we had under ten brands to choose from and even fewer flavours. Now, there are hundreds of flavours, and literally scores of brands.

 

The market has shifted from being the worst-kept secret among football changing rooms to an all-encompassing product for all demographics. For us, selling snus is a positive. But, for the media and some parents, it is a polarising topic. Any product that contains nicotine should be under the proverbial microscope to ensure safety. But, the negative press that snus receives negates the positives it has done for some people. I was someone who smoked for nearly ten years, had to hide it from my job, and it impacted my asthma. For me, snus gave me a different way to consume nicotine and balance the apparent addiction I had battled with for so long. While I can’t condone using snus for no apparent reason, it gave me a less harmful alternative to smoking.

 

The UK media can be the judge, jury, and executioner for so much. The legality of snus in the UK (or nicotine pouches for commercial clarity) is a grey area with few answers. Articles from major publications impact the narrative and stain the validity of pouches in the UK. I openly admit that people should not just randomly pick up a can of snus for fun. They are addictive, and regulation is grey. Illegal imports of counterfeit products have become more prevalent in our industry. The market has grown exponentially in the early part of the 2020s and even more so in the mid-2020s. The projected market figures are staggering, which is why many of us continue to offer nicotine pouches for sale. But, there are a few of us who maintain standards to our customer base, offering official brands and products. How long that remains is down to the scruples of the many, and the watchful eye of consumers.

 

The Snus Culture & UK Trends

 

As a country, we have battled with underage consumption of age-regulated products ever since I can remember. Whether it be smoking, drinking, vaping, or using snus, the problem will always exist. Now you have age verification on porn, betting, and I struggle to buy laxatives when my stomach gets clogged in Sainsbury's now. It is not a bad thing; there needs to be restraints put in place for the younger generation.

 

Unfortunately, snus has also faced backlash from critics due to its marketing. The marketing surrounding the products has been scrutinized as the battle for market penetration between brands intensifies. The colours, influencers used to promote, marketing messages, and fonts have all been under scrutiny. There is a difficulty in policing the marketing because, on one hand, snus has not been deemed a smoking cessation product. The same happened with the vaping industry, where marketing messages were targeted at the most influential demographic: kids. American Gangster says it all, “Your success took a shot at you, what are you going to do? Become unsuccessful?”


 

The microcultures that exist in snus are a joy to behold. Some of the best influencers in the space, such as Snusfather, reach a diverse audience. In his TikTok lives, he is bombarded with questions about the veracity of certain heavy-hitting pouches, which is navigated through firsthand experience. Knowledge is king, and the sharing of that knowledge educates an otherwise uninformed market.

 

Trends & Societal Impacts

 

Only a couple of years ago, the snus caused itself a big issue in the UK. The market was flooded with the strongest snus in the world. At the time, it seemed that brands were pushing more and more strength into the pouches, and for no good reason. The strength race in the early 2020s was an integral component of the market's explosive growth. At the time, the excitement had manufacturers locked into figuring out how to make them stronger, and it seems they neglected to consider the why. As such, much of the UK snus market engaged in using snus that was too strong to enjoy. Strengths of up to 150mg could be as much as 13 times stronger than a standard cigarette. Inevitably, many new users were dissuaded from using them again after terrible first-time experiences. That trend of strong pouches also alerted authorities to the potential disaster in the UK nicotine market.

 

 

Typically, trends, especially on social media, do more harm than good. The strength race climaxed, and accountability meant most brands were wise enough to reduce the strengths. Unfortunately for brands like CUBA, the 150mg product that catapulted them to stardom became their Achilles heel. The trending 150mg snus, which is almost exclusively identified as a Nicotobacco product, became a target for the UK media. Despite being one of the best-made products on the market, the discontinued 150mg pouch has been a sadly missed product.

 

 

Buying Snus: UK Online vs In-Store

 

The growth period brought with it accessibility for UK consumers. As brands increased, so did the library of stock available online. Inevitably, risks were taken by convenience stores to stock brands on the shelf. This meant more options for a market that had been previously exclusive to online purchasing. Many sitting in my position with an online retail store have seen the impact of in-store purchasing preferences. But, in my opinion, the ability for consumers to purchase outside of online has only strengthened the total addressable market.

 

Buying in-store has its positives. Rather than wait 24 hours for your snus to arrive at your door, peering out of the window because you are roasting and left it late, you can just stroll in. We have all been there, and for many of us, the postal service was a bugbear when ordering snus online. That is certainly one of the main positives about buying in-store: you negate that stress. But you have to take the rough with the smooth. Stores rarely have a full stock line of any one brand. They also rarely have all of the brands you are looking for. After speaking with several stores that we have supplied, the common reason is the lack of shelf space. And, with the luxury of having your local store supply your snus needs, you pay for it. In London I have personally seen prices three times higher than our prices, which is insane.

 

Buying snus online is the most preferred method for most frequent users. Most online stores like The Snus King have a myriad of different brands, and large quantities of stock. So, if you are ordering 10, 20, or even 50 of one flavour, you are likely to find it in stock. In store, you would do well to find 50 cans across 3 different brands, let alone 50 of one flavour! Not firing shots, just pointing out that accessibility to variation and quantity can only be achieved online. The prices are more stable as online stores offset the responsibility of brick-and-mortar overheads. Yes, you will need to wait 24 hours for your stock to arrive. Yes, if Postman Pat is anything like mine, it could be 3 pm the next day; he trundles around the corner to your house. But, for those that are organised, it is a cheaper and more fluid experience than going into a store.

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Snus in London

 

London is at the centre of any successful product in the UK. With so many football teams local to the city or within the city, it was inevitable that the economic impact of snus would affect local communities. As snus grew within football, London became the proverbial hub of snus usage. The subcultures of football, like the pubs, inevitably became part of the movement in a short time. Organic growth through word of mouth introduced London to a snus culture outside of football, which initially began on nights out. Before long, universities began to be another integral part of the influx of snus users and the exodus of smokers. The ability to use nicotine in London nightclubs, bars, and restaurants was, and always will be, part of the reason nicotine pouches (snus) have a home in London.

 

Anything that happens in London usually reaches other major towns and cities within a short period of time. The use of snus in lectures has become commonplace as students are a primary market for snus users. Hence, the biggest brands like VELO have been targeted by the media for crossing the grey lines between acceptable and unacceptable marketing. VELO has been known to employ sales representatives or run social media campaigns near campuses or at festivals, targeting the desired demographic. Despite the age barrier of 18 for nicotine use, plain to see on all of VELO’s campaigns, it could be argued that Big Tobacco’s history has impacted opinion.

 

Personally, I struggle to understand the UK’s campaigns against nicotine consumption. The vape industry was targeted, despite being championed previously as a smoking cessation product. In 2024, the rule was passed to ban disposable vapes, but the reasons behind it had me scratching my head. The marketing was seen as a key driver of the use of underage citizens, as brands used colourful packaging and striking fonts. That has not changed. The next reason for banning vapes was the environmental waste that vapes cause. Understandable. But when you see the rats running around the London streets at night, they are not chasing the Bubblegum 20mg disposable. It seems that the UK will target products that are trending and can not be taxed due to its own legislation. As these products are not tobacco, and are seen as a general consumer product, they fall outside of the remit for taxation. Large-scale campaigns appear to be exploiting public interest for preferred outcomes, rather than being genuinely beneficial. The government would prefer you use the terrible nicotine patches or gum they can tax under medicinal products that do absolutely nothing for smokers.

 

 

Brands of Snus in UK

 

There are numerous brands of snus competing for market share in the UK, which is unbelievable. While consumers are spoiled for choice, it has also led to confusion for many. The product, on the whole, is generally new for most, so even stores struggle to know which brands to sell. I have been present in-store with people literally asking for nicotine pouches, and staff have not even known what the products are. It seems funny that stores the size of Waitrose have shelved nicotine pouches and staff have not been trained on what they are.

 

When it comes to brands and knowledge about them, the internet has been a pillar of information for consumers. The exuberance of social media has been a hot source of brand awareness for many, too. But, without a shadow of a doubt, time in the market, and diversity of product portfolio has been at the centre of brand success.

 

Some high-flying snus products have emerged as leaders over the years. Some classic products have consistently performed well among niche audiences, typically those who have used nicotine pouches for an extended period. We have a comprehensive article on the best snus available, but we'll provide a snapshot of some of our top brands in the UK currently.

 

Killa Snus

 

Killa is one of the foremost brands in the UK, having shot to notoriety in the mid-2010s. NGP Empire, the manufacturer of Killa, produced one of the most popular and finest independent brands in the world. The UK adopted Killa almost instantly, with the flagship product Cold Mint, which stole customers away from previous classic mint flavours. The inception of Killa was unforeseen at the time. Still, the transition from traditional snus to tobacco-free nicotine pouches was, in part, due to the release of Killa's mint flavour. Since the brand has gone on to release some of the best flavours in the market today in the form of Blue Raspberry, Cherry Cola, and Tropical Punch.

 

CUBA Snus

 

CUBA has grown exponentially since its first appearance in the UK in 2023. The brand was acquired by a notable UK retail site, which helped grow the CUBA brand into one of the most distinctive snus pouches available. CUBA is mainly known for the CUBA Blackline, which harnesses an emphatic 66mg of nicotine and hits like a train. The fabled 150mg pouch, which once served the UK as one of the fastest-selling pouches, was discontinued in 2025, leaving the Blackline as its legacy. Despite being lower in strength, the Blackline CUBA has one of the fastest nicotine hits you will find from any pouch in the world. Flavours such as Cold Dry, Cherry, and Forest Berries wield that strength in abundance and hit, true to form. 

 

VELO Nicotine Pouches

 

It almost feels unfair not to mention VELO as a brand of snus. Nicotine pouches and snus are colloquially the same thing. VELO is manufactured by British American Tobacco and has caused debate in the UK due to its popularity. Purists may consider VELO a suboptimal brand compared to Killa and CUBA, but VELO is popular for a reason. Yes, the brand has a huge marketing budget, and yes, it is owned by one of the largest corporations in the global nicotine industry. However, VELO has a fine library of products that can stand toe to toe with any of the independent brands at its level of strength. VELO has some incredible additions to the UK market, including Wintry Watermelon, Crispy Peppermint, and Ruby Berry. Don't sleep on VELO if you buy snus in the UK, give it a chance!

The Future of Snus: UK Mass Adoption or Fizzled Out Trend

 

The balancing of nicotine strengths in snus is a strong indicator, to me, that snus is here to stay. Some time ago, snus was a black market product and a dirty secret among some footballers. Now, there is snus in major supermarket chains, a growing understanding of use cases, and interests of large corporates like British American Tobacco. Personally, I think that the market has some way to go to overtake vaping and smoking. But, currently, the trajectory shows uptick in sales, and search online, which can only be a good thing. More people using nicotine in the form of pouches, as opposed to blowing clouds of vapour into the air is good for social dynamics. How many times have you walked in the slipstream of someone vaping that blows a cloud of vapour into your path? I acquiesced smoking in restaurants at one point in my life, and most will do the same about snus, eventually.

 

Conclusion

 

The story of snus in the UK is a curious mix of secrecy, sport, subcultures, and supermarket shelves. What was once a whispered order through obscure European websites has now become a mainstream product available both online and in-store. The journey has not been without its controversies; from the strength race that left newcomers flat on their backs, to the media scrutiny that delights in pointing fingers at footballers and influencers alike. Yet the simple truth is that nicotine pouches have offered many people, myself included, a less harmful alternative to cigarettes.

 

The future of snus in the UK will likely be shaped by regulation, market maturity, and consumer demand. Whether you see it as a vice, a culture, or a lifeline, it has carved out a permanent spot in the nicotine landscape. The sceptics can shout, the tabloids can sneer, but the numbers and the users tell their own story. Snus is no longer a secret, and whether the UK likes it or not, the cat is well and truly out of the bag.