Fifteen male users of oral snuff performed a directed forgetting task after over-night abstinence and after administration of oral snuff. Directed forgetting tasks use cues to classify items for differential reporting at test, emphasising the need for strategic encoding. Recognition was better after nicotine administration, but we found no evidence for greater strategic control, as hypothetically reflected in successful compliance with the directed forgetting instructions. Reaction time decreased after nicotine administration. Performance among fifteen controls was unaffected over two sessions.