Nicotine delivery and subjective effects of Swedish portion snus compared with 4 mg nicotine polacrilex chewing gum.

Introduction: Snus availability has been claimed to have contributed to the low rates of smoking among Swedish men and made possible the transfer to a less harmful form of nicotine dependence.

Methods: Fourteen cigarette smokers were randomly assigned to 2 types of 1 g Swedish portion snus and 4 mg nicotine polacrilex (NP) chewing gum in open-label, single-dose crossover study. Nicotine delivery and pharmacokinetics were estimated, and self-reports of subjective effects were obtained using Visual Analogue Scales (VASs).

Results: Extracted dose from the NP gum averaged 2.56 mg compared with 2.12 and 2.18 mg, respectively, for Swedish portion snus. This resulted in a slightly larger area under the curve (AUC) for the NP chewing gum. The rise of the nicotine plasma concentration was faster for Swedish snus. Median T(max) was shorter, 30 min for snus compared with 45 min for the NP gum. The lower C(max) of NP gum compared with the snus products in spite of larger AUC may be explained by slower absorption from the chewing gum. The faster absorption of nicotine from Swedish portion snus was mirrored in a higher VAS score for "head rush." Craving/urges to smoke decreased similarly for all treatments. Salivation and throat burn were rated higher for the 4 mg NP gum compared with both types of snus.

Conclusions: Swedish snus produced higher maximum blood nicotine concentration in shorter time and with a quicker onset of "head rush" compared with 4 mg NP chewing gum in spite of a smaller extracted dose. The quicker onset of "head rush" and supposedly higher satisfaction from snus may partly explain the widespread use of snus for stopping smoking in Sweden.