Smokeless tobacco has an overall positive effect on public health, a new study at the Norwegian Institute of Alcohol and Drug Policy found.

The study examined how cigarette use is affected by the availability of snus concluding that it is associated with a net reduction in tobacco-related mortality, reports Medical Daily.
Study author Karl Erik Lund said that although the product’s Norwegian market share has increased from five percent to 30 per cent since 1985, the overall consumption of tobacco has remained the same.
"The use of snus has not increased overall tobacco consumption but has reduced cigarette smoking in Norway, and this has happened without more people becoming new users," he said, speaking to The Local. "If the aim is to reduce tobacco-related mortality, letting snus compete with cigarettes is a good idea."
Lund stressed that snus is not a totally risk-free product and that there would be no reason why youth should take up snus if they are not trying to get out of the very dangerous cigarette smoking habit. Instead, the product appears to lower tobacco consumption and the concomitant mortality by facilitating cessation attempts. (pi)