A young woman has gone viral after posting a warning about snus, a nicotine product that has become increasingly popular with Gen Z. In her video, she says years of using it left her with visible facial asymmetry, and she decided to show the changes publicly so others would think twice before picking up the habit. The clip struck a nerve because it focuses on something many people might notice in the mirror long before they connect it to nicotine use.
The TikTok creator, Charly, points to what she describes as a clear difference between the two sides of her face, with one cheek appearing higher than the other. She says she routinely placed the pouch under her gums on the right side, and that the same area now looks more pronounced. Alongside the video, she wrote a blunt message telling viewers it was their sign to quit and that she was done.
Snus is typically used by tucking a small pouch inside the mouth, most commonly under the upper lip. It is sold in compact, often brightly designed containers and comes in a range of flavors, which helps explain its appeal to younger users. Unlike cigarettes, there is no smoke, because nicotine enters the bloodstream through the mouth’s lining rather than through inhalation. That smokeless aspect can make it feel like a cleaner choice, even when the nicotine dose is anything but small.
@queencandyc no more zings for me 😒
♬ Carmen Habanera, classical opera(1283412) – perfectpanda
Health experts have been raising the alarm about how much nicotine some pouches can deliver, including products that reportedly contain extremely high amounts. Dnevnik.hr highlighted warnings that certain varieties may pack levels far beyond what casual users expect. Zrinka Ćavar from the Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health also noted that a single pouch can match the nicotine found in a pack of cigarettes, and that some young people use multiple pouches at once, compounding the exposure in a short time.
Another layer of confusion is the label itself, because “snus” is often used as a catch-all term. Traditional snus is a Swedish tobacco product and its sale is banned in Croatia and much of the European Union. What is commonly sold and used today is more often a tobacco-free nicotine pouch made with synthetic nicotine, which can still be highly addictive and far from harmless.
What makes these products especially hard to monitor is how discreet they are, with no smoke or lingering smell. That means they can be used almost anywhere, from school to home to a night out, without drawing attention. Users may start with milder options, but tolerance can build quickly, leading them to stronger pouches to chase the same effect. If you’ve noticed snus becoming more common around you, share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
