Snuff

All Music Guide:

Unhappy with what they were hearing on BBC Radio, the members of Snuff got together in 1986 with the intention of "taking the piss out" of mainstream music and to have a little fun. With the original line-up consisting of Simon on guitar, Andy on bass, and Duncan on drums/vocals (last names unavailable), Snuff shot around England for three years before Workers Playtime released their first album, entitled Snuff Said, in 1989. Recognized for their high-energy pop-punk and thrash version of the Hendrix classic "Purple Haze" -- which was evidence of their all-around lack of seriousness -- Snuff started to gain a global following in Europe, the United States, and Japan during the early '90s. With trombone player Dan added to their line-up, the Flibbiddydibbiddydob EP, featuring silly instrumentals and familiar cover songs, was released on the same label.

Their own 10 Past 12 Records released their third full-length, Reach, in 1992; the CD would eventually be distributed in America through Olympia's K Records. However, following the release of their live album Kilburn National 27.11.90 during the same year, the members of Snuff went their separate ways to concentrate on other projects. Duncan moved from drums to guitar and vocals to form the highly acclaimed Guns N' Wankers and guitarist Simon played drums in Your Mum long enough to crank out two EPs, while Andy jammed and recorded with the legendary Leatherface for two albums. This hiatus went on for three years before Snuff re-formed in 1995 with newly added keyboardist Lee M. and guitarist Loz (formerly the axeman for Your Mum).

Their "comeback" record, Demmamussabebonk, was released in 1996 to satisfied, welcoming ears. Another album of cover songs called Potatoes & Melons Wholesale Process Straight Up from the Lock was released in 1997, this time with another Lee, who took over the role of bassist. Showing no signs of slowing down, they released their fourth album, Tweet Tweet My Lovely, in late 1998; Numb Nuts followed in the spring of 2000 and Blue Gravy: Phase 9 appeared in spring 2001. The next Snuff release came in the form of the double-disc greatest-hits and B-sides/rarities compilation Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other: 1986-2002 in August 2005.

Wikipedia:

Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century.

It is generally insufflated (inhaled) or "snuffed" through the nose either directly from the fingers or by using specially made "snuffing" devices.

Snuff is usually scented or flavoured. Typical flavours are floral, mentholated (also called 'medicated'), fruit, and spice, either pure or in blends. Other common flavours include Camphor, Cinnamon, Rose and Spearmint. Modern flavours include Bourbon, Cherry, Cola and Whisky.

Snuff comes in a range of texture and moistness, from very fine to coarse, and from toast (very dry) to very moist. Often drier snuffs are ground finer.

History

Snuff taking by the native peoples of modern-day Haiti was observed by a Spanish monk named Ramon Pane on Columbus' second journey to the Americas during 1493-1496.

In 1561 Jean Nicot, the French ambassador in Lisbon, Portugal, sent snuff to Catherine de' Medici to treat her son's persistent migraines. Her belief in its curative properties helped to popularise snuff among the elite.

By the 17th century some prominent objectors to snuff taking arose. Pope Urban VIII threatened to excommunicate snuff takers. In Russia in 1643, Tsar Michael instituted the punishment of removing of the nose of those who used snuff. Despite this, use persisted elsewhere; King Louis XIII of France was a devout snufftaker, and by 1638, snuff use had been reported to be spreading in China.

By the 18th century, snuff had become the tobacco product of choice among the elite, prominent users including Napoleon, King George III's wife Queen Charlotte, and Pope Benedict XIII. The taking of snuff helped to distinguish the elite members of society from the common populace, which generally smoked its tobacco. It was also during the 18th century that an English doctor, John Hill, warned of the overuse of snuff, causing vulnerability to nasal cancers. Snuff's image as an aristocratic luxury attracted the first U.S. federal tax on tobacco, created in 1794.

In 18th-century Britain, the Gentlewoman's Magazine advised readers with ailing sight to use the correct type of Portuguese snuff, "whereby many eminent people had cured themselves so that they could read without spectacles after having used them for many years."

In certain areas of Africa, snuff reached native Africans before white Europeans did. A fictional representation of this is in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, where the Igbo villagers are regular snuff-takers long before they ever encounter the first British missionaries. In some African countries, such as South Africa and Nigeria, snuff is still popular with the older generation, though its use is slowly declining, with cigarette smoking becoming the dominant form of tobacco use.

In recent years, because of the ban on smoking in pubs in most European Union countries, the practice of snuff taking has increased somewhat.

Accessories

When snuff taking was fashionable, the manufacture of snuff accessories was a lucrative industry in several cultures. In Europe, snuff boxes ranged from those made in very basic materials, such as horn, to highly ornate designs featuring precious materials made using state of the art techniques. Since prolonged exposure to air causes snuff to dry out and lose its quality, pocket snuff boxes were designed to be airtight containers with strong hinges, generally with enough space for a day's worth of snuff only. Large snuff containers, called mulls (made from a variety of materials, notably including rams horns decorated with silver), were usually kept on the table.

A floral-scented snuff called "English Rose" is provided for members of the British House of Commons at public expense due to smoking in the House being banned since 1693. A famous silver communal snuff box kept at the entrance of the House was destroyed in an air raid during World War II with a replacement being subsequently presented to the House by Winston Churchill. Very few members are said to take snuff nowadays.

In China, snuff bottles were used, usually available in two forms, both made of glass. In one type, glass bottles were decorated on the inside to protect the design. Another type used layered multi-coloured glass; parts of the layers were removed to create a picture.

Sneezing

When sniffed, snuff often causes a sneeze. The tendency to sneeze varies with the person and the particular snuff. Generally, drier snuffs are more likely to do this. For this reason, sellers of snuff often sell handkerchiefs. Slapstick comedy and cartoons have often made use of snuff's sneeze-inducing properties.

Health risks

Users of smokeless tobacco products, including snuff, face no known cancer risk to the lungs but more of a risk in the oral region than smokers, and have a greater cancer risk than people who do not use any tobacco products. As the primary harm from smoking comes from the smoke itself, snuff has been proposed as a way of reducing harm from tobacco.

An article from the British Medical Journal examining Nicotine intake by snuff users concluded thus:

Unlike tobacco smoke, snuff is free of tar and harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Since it cannot be inhaled into the lungs, there is no risk of lung cancer, bronchitis, and emphysema ... Though we are not aware of any direct evidence, prolonged heavy use of dry snuff might well carry a slight risk of nasopharyngeal cancer ... The position with coronary heart disease is not clear. It is not known whether nicotine or carbon monoxide is the major culprit responsible for cigarette-induced coronary heart disease. If it is carbon monoxide a switch to snuff would reduce the risk substantially, but even if nicotine plays a part our results show that the intake from snuff is no greater than from smoking. In conclusion, the rapid absorption of nicotine from snuff confirms its potential as an acceptable substitute for smoking. Switching from cigarettes to snuff would substantially reduce the risk of lung cancer, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly coronary heart disease as well, at the cost of a slight increase in the risk of cancer of the nasopharynx (or oral cavity in the case of wet snuff). Another advantage of snuff is that it does not contaminate the atmosphere for non-users.

Legal issues

Snuff is readily available over the counter in most European tobacco shops. In Britain, tobacco duty is not charged on snuff, although it is subject to the same limitations as other tobacco products for duty free purposes.

The production and sale of nasal snuff was illegal in Poland between 1996 and 2000.

Notable manufacturers