Former England striker Fraizer Campbell has revealed he became addicted to snus, the controversial tobacco product which has become rife in English football.

Campbell, who had spells at Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur in a professional career spanning 16 years, said using the substance left him “constantly fatigued” and struggling to “get in a jog”.

Snus is a smokeless tobacco product which is sold in small parcels and placed between their upper lip and their gums. It releases nicotine into the bloodstream and can have a calming effect on users.

A study by the Professional Footballers’ Association, the union representing players in England, and Loughborough University in December 2025 asked 628 male and 51 female footballers about their use of snus or nicotine pouches.

Of those surveyed, 18 per cent of males and 22 per cent of females said they were currently using snus or nicotine pouches, while 42 per cent of male respondents and 39 per cent of female respondents said they had used the substance at least once.

The study found that most players use legal tobacco-free nicotine pouches rather than traditional tobacco-based snus — which is legal to use in the UK, but illegal to sell or supply. The study reported that players would often use ‘snus’ as an interchangeable term for the legal pouches and actual snus, which is traditionally produced in Sweden.

Campbell told the Sports Agents podcast that he began taking snus during his time at Palace, where he played from 2014-17, after being introduced to it by a fellow player.

He said he started to use it to relax after playing matches or training sessions but his use got to the point where he was taking it before training.

“Football is a stressful environment and after a game, with all that adrenaline in your system, it’s hard to get to sleep,” he said. “So it started off after games and then after training sessions. That’s how it starts but then you get the addiction and you start needing them more and more. Before you know it you’re having them every half an hour or hour and it becomes a bit of a problem.”

Campbell, 39, insists he did not use it before games on matchdays. But his snus consumption accelerated after he left his final club, Huddersfield Town, in 2022. He says he has now been “clean” for six months.

“I got to a stage where I just felt constantly fatigued, and I couldn’t put my finger on it,” he added. “Obviously it was the snus. So, I packed it in, because it was giving me no benefits.”

Snus, which is legal to buy in the U.S. subject to age restrictions, is not on the the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list banned substances although nicotine, as a stimulant, is on the monitored list.

An investigation into the use of snus and nicotine pouches by The Athletic in 2023 reported that there are health concerns around heavy usage, ranging from possible heart issues to diabetes and dental problems.

Dr. Daniel Read, the lead researcher for the PFA-Loughborough University study, identified a lack of education about the effect of using snus as a concern.

“The study showed that most players had not received information or education about using nicotine pouches,” he said in a statement issued at the time. “This is a challenge for the game given the side-effects and difficulty experienced when trying to quit reported by players.”