What is Smokeless Tobacco?

There are two main types of smokeless tobacco: chewing tobacco and snuff. These tobacco products are called smokeless because they do not emit any smoke when used.

Chewing tobacco comes in the form of loose leaf, snuff or twist. Snuff is packaged as dry, moist or packaged in sachets. While some forms of snuff can be sniffed or inhaled, most users place the tobacco between their gum and cheek and suck or chew on the tobacco, while saliva is spat out or swallowed. As of recent, tobacco companies have created new smokeless tobacco products such as lozenges, tablets, tabs, strips and sticks.

In 1970 spit tobacco users were nearly six times more likely to be over the age of 65. By 1991, however, younger men were more likely to be users of smokeless tobacco. The reason for this trend lies with the marketing creation of new smokeless tobacco products.

Smokeless Tobacco Health Effects:
There are 28 cancer causing agents in smokeless tobacco, smokeless tobacco also increases the chances of developing cancer of the mouth and pancreas. Many users also begin to notice gum recession, where the roots of the teeth begin to show, gum disease and tooth decay. Some users have also developed a white lesion or patch on their tongue or somewhere in their mouth. This white patch is precancerous and can not be scraped off.

                  Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.

Pregnant women who use smokeless tobacco run the risk of developing preclampsia, a condition that includes high blood pressure, fluid retention and swelling. Babies born to mothers who used smokeless tobacco during pregnancy can be born premature or have low birth weight. Men who use smokeless tobacco have a reduced sperm count and abnormal sperm cells.

Youth and Smokeless Tobacco
In the United States 20% of high school boys use smokeless tobacco, while only 2% of high school girls use smokeless tobacco. Currently there are 12 to 14 million smokeless tobacco users in the United States, one-third are under 21 years of age and nearly half of those users began to use before the age of 13. Skoal and Copenhagen are currently the two leading smokeless tobacco brands among youth aged 12 years and older.

Adolescents that use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers.

Info from:

Kids Health-www.kidshealth.org

Center for Disease Control and Prevention-www.cdc.gov