Swedish professor links white snus to rising diabetes in young women
Professor Kerstin Brismar of Karolinska Institutet says the surge in white snus use among young women may be driving the parallel rise in type 2 diabetes. She expects confirming research soon.
A leading Swedish diabetes researcher says the surge in white snus use among young women may be driving the parallel increase in type 2 diabetes — and warns that long-term use raises the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and likely some cancers.
Professor Kerstin Brismar, a diabetes researcher at Karolinska Institutet, made the connection in an interview with P3 Nyheter, reported by Sveriges Radio on 3 August 2026.
What the data shows
Since white snus (tobacco-free nicotine pouches) was introduced in 2016, use among second-year high school girls in Sweden jumped from 5% to 25%. During the same period, type 2 diabetes has been rising among young women, particularly those under 30.
Overweight and obesity remain the primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes. But Brismar says nicotine consumption independently increases the risk — and white snus can contain more nicotine than cigarettes or traditional brown snus.
"If you continue using white snus for a long time, over many years, the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and likely some forms of cancer increases," Brismar told P3 Nyheter.
Association, not yet proven causation
Brismar is careful to frame this as a connection, not a proven causal link. She told P3 that she is convinced research confirming the association will be published soon.
This matters for context: type 2 diabetes has multiple risk factors, and the rise in cases among young women coincides with broader trends in diet, physical activity, and obesity. Isolating nicotine pouch use as an independent driver requires controlled studies that haven't been completed yet.
What is established: nicotine affects insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. The question is whether the nicotine doses delivered by modern white snus products — which can range up to 77mg/g — are high enough to meaningfully increase diabetes risk in real-world use patterns.
Why this matters for the pouch market
Sweden is the home market for nicotine pouches, and the products are deeply embedded in youth culture. A confirmed diabetes link would give ammunition to regulators already pushing for stricter limits — including the proposed 12mg/g nicotine cap that would force two-thirds of registered products off the market.
The Swedish government has already objected to Austria's EU-level proposal to restrict white snus, framing pouches as part of the "Swedish model" that has produced Europe's lowest smoking rate. But health research like Brismar's adds pressure from the other direction.
What's next
Brismar says confirming research is expected soon. If a causal link is established, it would strengthen the case for nicotine content limits and could reshape the regulatory debate in Sweden and across the EU.
For now, the message is cautionary: the long-term health effects of high-strength white snus are still being studied, and early signals from diabetes research are not reassuring.
SOURCES:
- Sveriges Radio (P3 Nyheter): Unga tjejer snusar mer – samtidigt ökar typ 2-diabetes (3 August 2026)
- Omni: Professor kopplar vitt snus till ökning av diabetes bland unga (3 August 2026)
- Nicotine & Tobacco Research: Snus and Cardiometabolic Health Markers Among Swedish Young Adults (15 November 2024)
Compare nicotine pouch prices across retailers at PouchFinder.