Patterns and Determinants of Exclusive Smokeless Tobacco (Snus) Use, Exclusive Smoking and Dual Use in General Population During 20 Years.

Background: We investigate smokeless tobacco (snus) use and its correlates over 20 years in a country where selling snus is prohibited but a large import quota and illicit market exists.

Methods: Repeated cross-sectional population-based surveys during 2000 to 2020 in Finland, including N = 57 111 adults aged 20 to 64 years. The outcome measures were current tobacco use (exclusive snus use, dual use, exclusive smoking, no tobacco use) and snus use (daily, occasional, no snus use). Study years, gender, age, education, marital status, self-rated health, body mass index, and binge drinking were used as explanatory variables.

Results: Exclusive snus use and dual use increased 3.6% units and 2.6% units from 2000 to 2005 and from 2018 to 2020, respectively. Overall decrease of tobacco use was led by decreasing exclusive smoking from 30.1% to 18.2%. The shared risk factors for snus use and dual use were male gender, age group 20 to 34 years, and binge drinking. The increases in snus and dual use over time were also most prevalent among these groups. Among men, occasional smoking increased the likelihood of daily (relative risk ratio [RRR] 2.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42, 3.99) and occasional (RRR 3.11, 95% CI 1.93, 5.03) snus use.

Conclusions: Snus use has increased among the general adult population in Finland during 2000 to 2020 yet remains less common than smoking. Snus use and dual use share some common risk factors. Snus use should be considered in cessation services, with support for quitting developed and targeted predominantly for men, younger adults, and persons drinking to intoxication.