Snus is a Swedish tobacco product that is placed under the upper lip. Photo: AFP/Jonathan Nakstrand
«The pressures of football and life are really starting to get to people,» West Ham striker Michail Antonio said this week, discussing the latest habits of his fellow professional footballers. «That's why players do this.»
He was talking about what has become something of an epidemic at Premier League clubs and beyond. Snus, a Swedish smokeless tobacco that is packaged in miniature tea bag-like bags and placed under the upper lip near the gum, is a problem that clubs are slowly trying to overcome.
It is said to be addictive for most, although it is by no means a banned substance in sport, despite the potential long-term health risks. Until now, clubs have tolerated its use, although the situation may well change.
Neil Lennon was seen holding a bag of snus to his gums on the touchline during Celtic manager games Photo: BBC
It has spread throughout the game, having been introduced by Scandinavian players decades ago. Jamie Vardy is widely accused of publicly admitting to using snus in 2016, although he said he stopped using it two years later. In fact, it predates him and was circulating among some of the England players who were struggling with boredom and isolation under Fabio Capello at the 2010 World Cup. David James, a member of this squad, admitted to using it in the 1990s.
Antonio, speaking on his BBC podcast, enlightened the topic. For the first time, he asked a different question: Why do players do this? “I wouldn’t say the clubs are against it,” he said. “Clubs really want players to be able to cope with the situation and remain calm in any way, shape or form.” Until now it has been presented as the story of rich footballers and their idiosyncratic and naive habits, but what if it was about something more fundamental?
Snus use has become so widespread that it has even reached academic circles that the players' union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), commissioned a study from Loughborough University on the issue. Anecdotal evidence of the clubs' existence includes locker room floors littered with small cans of snus packets sold in them and players bringing large supplies for long trips or tournaments. It is said that after the initial nausea comes a calmness that can be welcomed in the cut-throat game cycle that is the life of an elite footballer.
Snus is banned from sale but not illegal to use in the UK, but many players have suppliers and alternative nicotine pouches that do not contain tobacco are widely available to buy. In Sweden, it is estimated that about 20 percent of the male population uses snus. In Norway, this figure rises to 29 percent for men aged 16 to 24 and 12 percent for women. Victor Lindelof, a Swedish international who plays for Manchester United, posted photos of his favorite brand on social media.
In parts of Scandinavia where snus is a cultural norm, what is seen as British media hysteria over the habit is ridiculed. Although this opinion is not shared throughout the region. In July, the International Journal of Cancer published the most comprehensive study of the risks of snus use, written by a team of public health and cancer specialists from Oslo.
Cans of snus on the shelves of the Swedish Match store in Stockholm. Photo: Anna Ringstrom/Reuters 
Players have a habit of taking large supplies with them for long trips or tournaments. Photo: Olivier Morin/AFP
When comparing the cancer risk of snus users and non-snus users, the results were clear. There was moderate evidence that snus use leads to a greater risk of esophageal and pancreatic cancer, and weaker evidence that it also leads to a higher incidence of stomach and rectal cancer.
Loughborough PFA researchers are looking into why this phenomenon has become so widespread. They interviewed staff at Premier League and Football League clubs to answer the survey questions. Surveys have already been sent to NFA members, and the results should be published in the first quarter of next year.
Modern football players have never been in such good physical shape. The few players with Premier League contracts cannot afford to hire private chefs or personal trainers in addition to the teams of experts paid by their employers to keep them in shape. The club has a high-tech sports science department, and analysis of training and performance data allows the medical department to anticipate the risk of injury rather than just react.
Gone are the old days of Saturday nights drinking and perhaps Sundays too. The current England captain is so abstinent that when asked about alcohol a year ago, he seemed able to count on one hand how many drinks he had consumed in 12 months. The same cannot be said about many of Harry Kane's predecessors.
Football is truly a golden life, although it is obvious that something is wrong, otherwise many would not use an addictive substance with all the disadvantages that elite sport has — not least the long-term problems.
The assumption is that reality is much as Antonio described it. The rewards of being a professional footballer have never been greater. In addition, the schedule of matches has never been busier or more tightly controlled. Everything from the technological advancement of television coverage, to media competition for views and clicks, to the dark, endless galaxy of social media. All this means is that these players are under pressure. Snus begins to look like a small act of rebellion, which also gives them a sense of well-being amidst the storm.
Many of them know that snus is unlikely to be beneficial for a life spent optimizing their health. physical condition — and yet they still do it. “I haven’t seen a single club that would be against it [snus],” Antonio said. «It's not illegal, it's not a banned substance in the game, so… as long as the boys perform on the weekends, it is what it is.»
What it is, some of those who have developed addictions that require active use remains to be seen. This can happen long after their playing career is over. But until then, one can only hope the PFA gets to the bottom of it, which could lead to an answer the game finds difficult.
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