Copenhagen (tobacco)
Copenhagen tobacco is a tobacco snuff product marked as 'smokeless tobacco' and has been produced in America since 1822. It is a fine ground tobacco (1.2 oz per can/tin) commonly referred to as dip, and when used, is referred to as dipping. Copenhagen comes primarily in 3 textures: Fine Cut, Mid-Cut, and Long Cut. Another variety is available, in the form of pouches.
History
George Weyman, inventor of Copenhagen snuff, opens his tobacco shop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sometime during 1822. In April 1845, Weyman's tobacco shop is one of the few businesses to survive the Great Pittsburgh Fire. Tobacco manufacturing at Weyman's shop reaches $30,000 annually by 1850. Nearly two decades later, George Weyman relinquishes control of the shop to his sons William and Benjamin Weyman. Following their father's death in 1870, William and Benjamin officially adopt the name Weyman & Bro.
Production of Copenhagen Snuff outpaces that of all of Weyman & Bro.'s other brands for the first time in 1890. Following the turn of the century Weyman & Bro. is acquired by the monopoly of the American Tobacco Company (US Smokeless Tobacco in later years).
Usage
Snuff is commonly confused with chewing tobacco, when in fact, it is very different. A small clump of snuff is 'pinched' out of the tin, and put inside the lower lip, in front of the teeth/gums. This is a large contrast to the almost bubblegum method of chewing on chewing tobacco. While using snuff, the pinch sits just behind your lower lip, a spot where blood vessels are close to the skin, and are plentiful. The nicotine works its way into your blood vessels through the saliva naturally created in your mouth.
The user then has to spit out any saliva that has come in contact with the snuff, as it can be extremely nauseating if swallowed. Even after the snuff or 'dip' has been removed from the mouth, high levels of nicotine still exist on the inner part of the lower lip, leaving the user most likely spitting for a while after the dip was removed.
Recently, US Smokeless Tobaccointroduced a new form, called "pouches". The tobacco is packed into thin pouches. Designed for beginners, it makes the tobacco easier to handle and place in the mouth, and helps protect against the common beginner mistake of swallowing the tobbaco, which brings extremely unpleasant side effects (nausea, vomitting, headache, etc.).