煙草在線據《華爾街日報》報道編譯　　韓國的控煙力度不斷加大，似乎刺激了一些吸煙愛好者轉向吸瑞典的一種粉末狀煙草。

　　蒸汽熏制的煙草袋被稱為“鼻煙”，從今年年初以來，已經開始在韓國出現，鼻煙進口商介紹說，他們提供了一種對健康有較少危害的煙草替代品。

　　潮濕的粉末狀煙草裝在一個類似茶包的煙草袋中，可含在上嘴唇下面，以釋放尼古丁。提倡者說，因為是通過牙齦攝取尼古丁，所以是一個輕松的戒煙方式，并且沒有肺癌風險。而包括世界衛生組織在內的批評者說，任何形式的煙草都會對健康造成嚴重的威脅。

　　經濟與合作發展組織稱，瑞典是世界上吸煙率最低的國家，一直試圖出口鼻煙。在今年年初，斯德哥爾摩努力將鼻煙出口到其他歐盟國，但沒有成功。

　　在歐盟銷售鼻煙是非法的,瑞典是一個例外,這是瑞典在1995年加入歐盟的一個條件。鼻煙消費者大多位于瑞典和非歐盟國家挪威。根據瑞典最大的鼻煙制造商——瑞典火柴公司統計，每年總共有2.85億罐鼻煙在這兩個國家售出。

　　據官方數據顯示，從瑞典和丹麥（丹麥也出口鼻煙）進口的煙草量，從去年的零進口達到現在的1公噸（從3月到7月）。韓國關稅廳的數據沒有對鼻煙進行單獨歸類，但韓國也沒有從這兩個國家進口現成的其他煙草產品。

　　進口商說，把鼻煙進口到韓國正值一個有利的時機。韓國政府計劃從2015年起加大所有餐館和許多公共領域的禁煙力度。

　　根據經濟與合作發展組織提供的數據，韓國還是發達國家中成年男性日吸煙率最高的國家，為45%。算上女性人口后，該比例是23%。

　　根據韓國企劃財政部資料顯示，去年，韓國吸煙者大約購買了900億支卷煙，價值11.3萬億韓元（103億美元）。這相當于人均購買卷煙超過1800支，即每人每天消費5支卷煙。

　　政府數據顯示，雖然在最近幾十年內銷售的卷煙數量已經大大減少，但是在過去幾年里卷煙市場規模一直保持相對穩定。

　　現在斷言無煙產品將流行于韓國還為時過早。韓國最大的卷煙制造商KT&G公司，擁有該國最大的市場份額，該公司發言人表示，他們還沒有計劃出售鼻煙產品。進口商也拒絕透露進口鼻煙的銷售數據，但他們表示，進口數量正在上升。

Korean Smokers Turn to Sucking Tobacco

　　South Korea's increasing crackdown on smoking appears to be spurring some tobacco fans to turn to a Swedish powder variety.

　　Steam-cured tobacco pouches known as 'snus' have begun appearing around South Korea since earlier this year, with their importers saying they present an alternative less damaging to health.

　　The moist powdered tobacco is packaged in a teabag-like pouch and is tucked under the upper lip to give off nicotine. Because it is ingested through the gums, advocates say it's an easy way to quit smoking with no lung cancer risks. But critics, including the World Health Organization, say tobacco in any form poses grave health threats.

　　Sweden, which has the lowest percentage of smokers in the world, according to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, has long tried to export snus. Stockholm's effort to export the product to the rest of the European Union was unsuccessful earlier this year.

　　The sale of snus is illegal in the EU except in Sweden, which made the exception a condition to its joining the union in 1995. Snus consumers are mostly in Sweden and non-EU member Norway. A combined total of 285 million cans are sold in those countries each year, according to Sweden's largest snus maker, Swedish Match AB.

　　Imported tobacco from Sweden and Denmark-which also exports snus-reached 1 metric ton each from March to July, official data show, up from nil last year. South Korean customs service data has no separate category for snus, but there are no other tobacco products from those countries readily available in Korea.

　　The introduction of snus to South Korea comes at a favorable moment, say the importers. The Seoul government plans to expand a limited smoking ban to all restaurants and many public areas from 2015.

　　South Korea also has the highest rate of adult male daily smokers in the developed world at 45%, according to the OECD. With the female population combined, the percentage was 23%.

　　Last year, South Koreans bought about 90 billion cigarettes, worth 11.3 trillion won ($10.3 billion), according to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. That's equivalent to over 1,800 cigarettes sold per capita, or five cigarettes consumed per person each day.

　　Though the number of cigarettes sold has declined over recent decades, the market size has been relatively stable in the last few years, government data show.

　　It's too early to tell the smokeless experiment will catch on in South Korea. A spokeswoman for KT&G Corp., the country's largest cigarette maker with the biggest market share, said they have no plans to sell snus products. The importers declined to disclose their sales data but said they are on the rise. Enditem