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 History of snuff It is not known how long people have used tobacco. Europeans first came in contact with tobacco when Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in 1492. At this time, tobacco was already used throughout North America and the West Indies. In Haiti, indigenous people inhaled a powder of dried, crushed tobacco leaves. This was the first time Europeans were exposed to snuff. Jean Nicot was the French ambassador to Portugal in the 1560s. When he returned to Paris, he brought tobacco with him. He cured Queen Catherine de Medici´s chronic headaches with a powder made of tobacco leaves. The French Court discovered snuff. Tobacco came to Sweden in the beginning of the 1600s. During the 1700s, it was fashionable to inhale snuff through the nose. Swedes first started tucking snuff (known in Sweden as snus) under the lip at the end of the 1700s. In 1822, Jacob Fredrik Ljunglöf started manufacturing snus. A few years later, he acquired the widely used quality standard, Number One, as his trademark. His product became known as Ettan (Number One). Today, Sweden is the largest Nordic market with about one million snuff users (or "snus" as it is called in Swedish). More than half of these are former smokers. Women account for slightly more than 10 percent of "snus" consumers. Furthermore, snuff has strong traditions in Northern Europe, North America, Africa and some countries in Asia. The History of Snus  1493 - Tobacco comes to Europe with Columbus Fray Ramon Pane accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to America. He saw smoke flowing from the Indians' mouths. The use of tobacco was already widespread across the whole continent, from Canada to South America. The Indians smoked pipes, used snuff and chewed tobacco leaves. In Europe, tobacco was recommended as a cure for all illnesses. Botanists and doctors began cultivating tobacco for its curative properties. 1638 - The first tobacco arrives in Sweden In 1638, one of Söderkompaniet's boats returned to Stockholm after a voyage to the Swedish colony at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. The ship carried tobacco, which would soon become a large-scale commodity on the Swedish market. Tobacco now becomes popular in Sweden. 1725 - Tobacco plantations thrive Jonas Alströmer was the first to cultivate tobacco in Sweden. Within a few years, he had over 35,000 plants. By 1732, his plantation had grown to 130,000 plants and covered an area of over two hectare. Alströmers success, access to good handbooks and encouragement from authorities lead to the spread of tobacco plantations all over the country. 1741 - Smoking prohibition The use of tobacco, in all its different forms, continued to grow. The authorities now sought means for controlling and regulating, and new laws were passed in rapid succession. A tobacco tax was introduced, which meant paying for the right to smoke according to one's social rank. Nobility, priests and bourgeois paid one daler in silver to smoke, and 16 ore in silver to use snuff. The tax for farmhands and maids was 4 ore. Soldiers, boatswain and miners were exempt. In 1741, a law was passed forbidding those under 21 years of age from smoking. This law indirectly encouraged the use of snuff. 1810-40 - From snuff to snus In the 1700s, snuff was inhaled through the nose. Oral snuff (snus) was developed from a combination of snuff and chewing tobacco. Many people consider snus to be typically Swedish, but this is not the case. Snus is found throughout North and Central America, as well as the USA. Snus is also popular in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. Snuff became snus for economic reasons. In the beginning, inhaling snuff was a luxury reserved for the bourgeoisie and nobility. But as the habit spread to the simpler classes, it was discovered that snuff could be placed in the mouth. This new method soon became popular and replaced the considerably more expensive habit of chewing tobacco. 1914 - State monopoly The Swedish Riksdag (Parliament) placed the entire production of tobacco goods in Sweden under a State monopoly. This monopoly took over more than 103 brands of snus. 1919 - Consumption habits change Almost 7,000 tons of snus were consumed in Sweden in 1919. Averaged between the number of male adults at the time (2 million), this made the yearly consumption around 3.5 kg per person. After 1919, the consumption of snus began to fall while cigarette smoking increased. This change reflects the transformation of Sweden from an agricultural country to an industrial nation. 1961 - The monopoly is abolished 1968 marked the turning point for snus. In over half a century, the demand for snus had fallen from 7,000 to 2,400 tons. But in 1969, snus consumption began to rise due to increased propaganda on the harmful effects of smoking. 1970 - New demands In legislation, snus was equated with food. This meant that recipes had to be changed and additives adapted. Demands were also placed on a longer shelf life. In 1973, the first portion snus was launched in Sweden. A BRIEF HISTORY of SWEDISH SNUS, SNUFF and TOBACCO  It is commonly believed that the birthplace of tobacco, a plant belonging to the genus Nicotiana (especially Nicotiana Tabacum and Nicotiana Rustica, cultivated for their leaves to make cigarettes, cigars, cigars, snuff etc), was somewhere in the American continent. How and when it was first discovered is unknown. 86-161 AD What is certain is that tobacco smoking was practised among the early Mayas, probably in the district of Tabasco, Mexico, as part of their religious ceremonies. While the Antonine Wall was being built between the Forth and Clyde rivers, the cultivated inhabitants of southern Mexico were smoking crude cigarettes. 1446-1520 In South America, the Aztecs smoked and took snuff. Elsewhere in the American continent, tobacco was chewed, eaten, drunk as an infusion, or rubbed into the body. Certainly the use of tobacco was widespread long before the Europeans arrived to claim their `New World'. Montezuma II, the last Aztec Emperor of Mexico, is said to have smoked a ceremonial pipe after dinner. Some historians claim that the Chinese invented the pipe and that Asians were smoking long before the Christian era, but they smoked grass and not tobacco which had never been grown anywhere but in the Americas before Columbus. 1492 For Europeans at least, the tobacco story started on October 12 1492 when Christopher Columbus landed on an island called Guanahani by its inhabitants and which he named San Salvador. The natives told Columbus of another much larger island nearby and he immediately set sail, arriving off the Cuban coast on 28 October 1492. 1497 Romano Pane, the monk who accompanied Columbus on his second voyage at the command of the Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, wrote the first account of smoking, ‘De insularium ribitus’, in Europe. 1512 Portugal was the first European country to cultivate tobacco outside of the Americas. 1558 Snuff was on sale in the markets of Lisbon. 1638 In 1638 returned on of the boats to Stockholm after a voyage to the Swedish colony at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. The ship carried tobacco, which would soon become a large-scale commodity on the Swedish market. 1699 France’s Louis XIV and his physician, Fagon, opposed smoking. Oral snuff-taking spread, probably because it was comparatively discreet and no one would know unless they hear you sneeze. The Portuguese introduced smoking into India, Eastern Asia and Japan. 1725 Pope Benedict XIII issued an edict allowing oral snuff-taking, even in St Peter’s. 1769-1821 Napoleon I had no use for smoking but this didn’t stop him consuming seven pounds of oral snuff a month. He owned countless oral snuff-boxes including one with a portrait of his beloved Josephine on the lid. Mortified when it broke he begged her to send him another box containing a lock of her hair. 1800 Swedes first started tucking snuff snus, known in Sweden as Swedish snus, under the lip at the end of the 1700s 1822 Jacob Fredrik Ljunglöf started manufacturing snus. Ljunglöf was obsessed by the thought of improving the quality of snus. A key factor to success was to find a way to vastly shorten the production time. A few years later, he acquired the widely used quality standard, Number One, as his trademark. His product became known as Ettan (Number One). He didn't use any flavourisers and thus gave Ettan the taste of pure tobacco, salt and water. 1914 The Swedish Parliament was in need of money to the national defence and to the first pension reform, and that’s way made a states monopoly on the entire production of tobacco goods. This monopoly took over more than 103 brands of snus. 1967 The Swedish tobacco monopoly was dissolved and Svenska Tobaks AB overtook the snuff and snus production. Today it is known as Swedish Match. Because of the monopoly Swedish Match have today 95% market share of a market on 500 million Euro. 1970 The first portion-packed snus was launched and it was an important step for the snuff to reach a wider clientele. This page in på Svenska language. This page in Auf Deutsch language. This page in en Français language. This page in in Italiano language. This page in En Español language. This page in op zijn Hollands language. |
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