Trendy nicotine pouches used by a fifth of professional footballers have been linked to a raft of serious health problems from cancer to heart disease and stroke.
Also called snus, users place the pouches under their lip where it gradually releases nicotine into the mouth, which is in turn absorbed into the bloodstream.
A study has found use of the pouches, both their tobacco and nicotine only versions is worryingly high amongst professional footballers.
Data from 628 male players in the Premier League and English Football League as well as 51 players from the Women’s Super League, found one fifth were active users.
Snus technically refers to products which contain the carcinogen tobacco which, while legal to use, aren’t allowed to be sold in the UK.
In the new study, 18 per cent of men playing in the Premier League or EFL clubs reported actively using snus or nicotine pouches. This rose to 22 per cent among female professional players (stock image)
This chart, from the report, shows how some professional footballers are coping with addiction to the pouches
Nicotine pouches, which are able to be purchased in the UK, don’t contain tobacco, but are also — confusingly — referred to as snus.
However tobacco snus is easy to obtain from online stores based overseas that send products direct to UK consumers’ homes.
Both types have been linked to concerning health issues.
A review by Swedish experts last year found tobacco-containing snus users had a 3.5 times higher risk of oesophagus cancer compared to non-tobacco users.
The same review also identified a 10 per cent increased risk of pancreatic cancer among snus users.
Authors also noted an increased risk of stomach and rectal cancers, as well as deaths from cancer overall, among snus users but they noted the evidence base for this was weaker.
Writing in the International Journal of Cancer the authors said: ‘Use of snus probably increases the risk for cancer of the oesophagus and pancreas.
‘Use of snus may increase the risk for cancer of the stomach and rectum, and the evidence suggests an increased risk for cancer-specific mortality as well as increased overall mortality after a cancer diagnosis (all types of cancer combined).’
Swedish researchers have also previously recorded an increased risk of cardiovascular health problems among tobacco snus users.
A 2021 study of over 41,000 Swedish adults found snus users who had never smoked had a 52 per cent increased risk of smoke.
Smokers were excluded from the analysis, published in BMC Medicine, so as not to influence the results.
Another, larger, study of almost 170,000 adults from the same year found snus users had a 27 per cent increased risk of cardiovascular death.
While not as serious as cancer or death, snus use has been also been strongly linked to people suffering panful and unpleasant oral lesions.
These health concerns have been specifically identified for snus not for the nicotine-only pouches, though both are commonly referred to as ‘snus’.
Nicotine-only versions work by releasing the addictive compound for up to 30 minutes into a person’s bloodstream.
Authors of the current report on use in footballers, from Loughborough University, said there is ‘a lack of long-term evidence’ about the safety these tobacco-free products.
‘It is worth noting that nicotine pouches may provide a less risky toxicant profile compared to smoking or [tobacco] snus, but further analysis and evidence is required,’ they wrote.
Some powders seen for sale by MailOnline contain more far more nicotine than cigarettes (stock image)
The report, based on a survey of 679 players and run in conjunction with the Professional Footballers’ Association, found the majority, 53 per cent of men and 73 per cent of women, showed at least one sign of ‘nicotine dependence’.
These included experiencing cravings as well as irritableness and restlessness.
Over a third of users also reported they used the product ‘without thinking’.
One unnamed player told the study: ‘I have quit twice for eight months but always seem to start doing it again. Find it hard to quit when I’m around it all day.’
Despite the dangers, and signs of addiction, 39 per cent of male and 55 per cent of female players reported a ‘a perceived performance benefit from snus and nicotine pouches’.
This most commonly took the form of ‘mental readiness’ or a calming effect before a game with one player even reportedly using it to manage his weight.
While the study authors noted that nicotine, which is a stimulant, has been found to enhance ‘fine motor skills, attention, and memory’ further evidence on if this translated to football is required.
They also noted that nicotine could also have negative impacts on athletic performance by disrupting sleep quality and altering appetite.
While proponents of snus and nicotine pouches have billed it as a potential smoking cessation aid, much like vapes, the NHS doesn’t recommend either.
The health service states even the tobacco-less versions could have risks due to a lack of evidence on their safety and efficacy.
Some professional players have also been pictured with nicotine pouches in the past, including Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy.
He was seen back in 2016 walking towards England training in Chantilly, France carrying a tub of what appeared to be chewing tobacco and a Red Bull.
Vary had previously admitted to taking snus in his autobiography to help him relax.
‘When I joined Leicester I started using snus, which are nicotine patches that you place against your gums, for 10 minutes or so,’ he said in his autobiography.
‘I used to have the odd cigarette on a night out at Fleetwood, but one of the lads introduced me to snus when I signed for Leicester and I found they helped me chill out.
‘A lot more footballers use them than people realise and some lads even play with them during matches.’
Several other former professionals, including Charlie Adam have spoken out on the use of the nicotine product in the past, with Adam stating that its use was ‘big’ in English football.
‘It’s big in the game, not just Premier League, League One, League Two, Championship, Scotland…’ he told BBC 5 Live back in 2019.
‘It’s come in from Scandinavia really and a lot of the players are using it. It’s the in thing.’
A report last year by MailOnline found some candy flavours of the powders being sold online contain nearly 33mg of nicotine per pouch.
For comparison, a single cigarette contains between 8 to 20mg of nicotine.
Tubs containing 20 pouches are sold online for as little as £4.50.
Source: Mail Online
