THE use of snus among professional footballers will be the subject of new research amid a “high level of concern” over the health impacts associated with the product.

The Professional Footballers’ Association will work with academics at Loughborough University on a 12-month project to identify how many players are using snus, and to raise awareness of its negative health impacts.

Snus is a nicotine-based product that is rubbed between the upper lip and the gumline. Despite being linked with heart conditions, oral disease and decreased physical performance, its use is believed to be on the rise among footballers.