According to Umeå University, the snuff study is the largest of its kind in the world.
It shows that snus users were 28 percent more likely than non-snus users to die prematurely.
- It can be seen that snus users die earlier in almost all categories of causes of death that we have studied and that the difference remains even when other lifestyle and socio-economic factors are taken into account, says Marja Lisa Byhamre, PhD student at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå university.
Cardiovascular disease and other causes, other than cardiovascular disease and cancer, accounted for most of the deaths.
Mortality from cancer was also somewhat elevated among snus users.
Social background was investigated
Former snuffers also had an increased mortality, but this was lower than among active snuffers.
Since snuff has traditionally been associated with a less favorable social background, one of the studies analyzed the risk for different social groups.
The study showed that the risk of premature death existed both among highly educated, highly paid and city-dwelling snus smokers as well as among snus smokers with a low level of education.
However, the research cannot give a clear answer as to exactly how snoring causes higher mortality.
- It remains to find out more about how snus causes increased mortality and whether the risks can be prevented.
But it is quite clear that snus is not harmless, although cigarette smoking is of course even worse, says Marja Lisa Byhamre.