Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the study in the European Journal of Epidemiology The Burden of Mortality from smoking: comparing Sweden with other countries in the European Union, published in 2004, which found a lower mortality rate in Sweden following a switch from smoking to snus; and whether they will explain why snus is banned in the UK.

The Department does not hold data showing the carcinogen levels of snus or other smokeless tobacco products.

The Department is exploring a range of regulatory options as part of the development of the new Tobacco Control Plan. This includes further regulation on the most harmful tobacco products such as those smokeless tobacco products currently available in the UK.

No assessment has been made of the study in the European Journal of Epidemiology.

Snus is banned in the UK and we have no plans to introduce additional tobacco products to the UK market. Alternative tobacco-free products already exist, such as nicotine pouches.