Just because there’s no smoke doesn’t mean that snuff or chewing tobacco is less harmful than smoked tobacco. Experts often tell us that all tobacco products pose health risks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of high school boys and 2% of high school girls are smokeless tobacco users. Smokeless tobacco is also called spit or chewed tobacco.

It comes in two types: the snuff and the chewing tobacco.

  • Snuff refers to the fine-grained tobacco packaged in small pouches that resemble a tea bag. Users either pinch or dip it between their lower lips and gums.
  • Chewing tobacco, on the other hand, are larger pieces of tobacco leaves that are also put between cheeks and gums. It is supposed to be spat to get rid of saliva while your mouth sucks out the tobacco juices. This allows nicotine to be absorbed into the blood stream through the lining of the mouth.

About 30,000 Americans suffer from mouth and throat cancer. Among this figure, 8,000 die in less than five years after the diagnosis. Most of them developed oropharyngeal tumor-a cancerous tumor of the throat.

Smokeless Tobacco: Not a Safe Alternative (Tobacco: the Deadly Drug)Oral cancer, in general, may also happen in the lips, tongue, cheeks, gums and other parts of the mouth. Doctors have already identified chewed tobacco as one of the leading causes of these cancers. Aside from that, other types of cancer in the stomach, esophagus and bladder may also be caused by chewing tobacco.

Other health implications of smokeless tobacco involve having a bad breath and teeth staining. Approximately 70% of users have mouth sores, cracking and bleeding lips, and receding gums that may lead to the falling out of your teeth. Notwithstanding other risks of all tobacco products such as increased in heart rate and blood pressure, diabetes, lung ailments and brain damage.

In addition to the health problems associated with smokeless tobacco, there are social costs. The constant creation of saliva means that users need to spit out the excess, not a very appealing habit. Spittoons belong in a western movie, not in today’s home or office. Mouth sores, stained teeth, and bad breath are not considered attractive, so a person’s social life can be adversely affected.

If you use smokeless tobacco, ask your doctor to help you kick the habit.

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