Snuff taking is somewhat the latest trend among young and fine-looking career men and women around town.
Barclays Bank Gaborone employee, who preferred to be called Kedi, said that snuff taking is in fashion and also cheaper than cigarettes.
“For me, alcohol and cigarettes go hand in hand, especially when I am out at a party or club. But because cigarettes are expensive nowadays, I buy my own little container of snuff which costs around P2 and life continues.”
Snuff tobacco, just like cigarettes, contains nicotine. It, however, is a smokeless tobacco that is forcibly inhaled through the nose.
Tobacco and nicotine have a potential for addiction that is similar to alcohol, cocaine, to list a few.
Goitseone Sekgaudi, Block 6 resident, added that without snuff, her world would come to an end because she is already attached to it.
“It helps to relieve me from bad headaches, which I have suffered from for the past five years.
Snuff also comes from way back where it was mostly used for traditional purposes.
Traditional healers, for instance, view the use of snuff tobacco as an essential directive for ritual purposes from their ancestors, more especially when forecasting the future of their clients thus it is used as a channel for healing.
“People come to our church for assistance with different problems in their lives. So what happens is that the main pastor consults with the respective client and the pastor will inhale the snuff to connect with their ancestors for divination,” said a local St John’s church member who chose anonymity. “With me it also helps when I am also assisting the clients, it automatically connects me with my ancestors but again if I don’t smoke snuff my head aches badly, so it helps cool down the aches.”
Kgomotso, a snuff vendor at Gaborone Bus rank said, “My snuff costs P3, business in Gaborone is high because nowadays both the old and young generation buy it so I can’t complain much. I can’t comment on snuff market in areas outside Gaborone but I suspect it’s the same as in Gaborone because it’s sniffed everywhere.”
