NNA UK to join the battle against the snus ban

Last Tuesday, we published an article about the NNA’s plan to appear in front of the High Court asking for permission to join the Swedish Match in their mission to challenge the ban on snus. Further communication with Ms. Harding from the organization has confirmed that their request has been accepted.

The NNA is a relatively small organization which was only founded recently, in 2015, and is comprised of a small group of volunteers dedicated to promoting tobacco harm reduction with the goal of preserving public health. Last Thursday on the 26th of January, chair of the organization Professor Gerry Stimson, and administrator Jessica Harding, asked to join the case which was initiated by Swedish Match. Their aim is to intervene as a third party by submitting their own plea to the European Court of Justice, pointing out the benefits that would come about as a result of the snus ban lift.

Snus is a moist powder tobacco product that is placed under the upper lip for extended periods. It is considered as an effective harm reduction product which has helped thousands quit smoking and is extremely popular in Norway and Sweden. An article on the NNA website pointed out that the popularity of snus has led to these two countries reporting the lowest rates of lung cancer in Europe.

The more harm reduction options, the better

The good news is that since the UK is still part of the European Union, a decision by the EU Court to revoke the ban, would apply not only in the UK, but all throughout Europe. A move that would have an immeasurable positive effect on public health, by giving smokers another harm reduction alternative to choose from, hence increasing their chances of finding the product that best works for them as a smoking cessation aid.