The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has launched a joint research study with Loughborough University into the use of snus in football.
Snus is a tobacco product that originates from Sweden. It comes in small parcels, similar to a teabag sachet, and is placed alongside the gum to release nicotine into the bloodstream. It has been linked with heart conditions, oral disease and decreased physical performance.
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Users say it can give them a calming effect and a sense of well-being. Stronger variants can involve a physical spark.
Lasting 12 months, the study is seeking to identify how many professional footballers use snus and raise awareness of its negative effects.
As part of the study, researchers will speak to footballers who use snus, and staff who work inside clubs. They will also capture further data through surveys shared with PFA members, canvassing existing attitudes and behaviours among professional players.
Dr Michael Bennett, the PFA’s director of player wellbeing, said: “Through our conversations with players and their clubs we are aware that there is a rise in the use of snus in the game. We want to use research like this to better understand that trend, the motivations of players and how aware they are of the risks.
“We can then use that knowledge to play our part in ensuring members are aware of the negative impacts that can be associated with Snus use.”
Lead researcher Dr Daniel Read from the institute for sport business at Loughborough University added: “There is a high level of concern in the football community about players using snus and the potential impact this may have on their welfare. Through this project with the PFA, we hope to learn more from the players’ perspective to better support their physical and mental wellbeing.”
The Athletic reported in March that the PFA would launch a campaign ahead of the 2023-24 season to warn players of the risks of using snus.
It is illegal to sell snus in the United Kingdom and European Union countries, apart from Sweden, but it is legal to consume it and it does not contravene any anti-doping laws.
Several Premier League footballers, including Victor Lindelof and Emil Krafth have admitted to using snus. Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy later said in 2018 that he had “kicked it”.
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(Photo: Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images)
