Smokeless Tobacco

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Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. It is addictive and can cause cancer!

Smokeless tobacco comes in two forms:

• Snuff is a finely ground tobacco. In the United States, snuff is the most popular type of smokeless tobacco. Users put a pinch of snuff (also called a "dip" or a "rub") between the cheek and gum in the mouth and hold it there.
• Chewing tobacco is bulkier than snuff and is chewed. Chewing tobacco comes in leaf and plug forms.

Smokeless tobacco contains at least 3,000 chemicals, including many that you wouldn't want in your body. Like all forms of tobacco, smokeless tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive drug that gets you hooked on tobacco. Holding one pinch of smokeless tobacco in your mouth for 30 minutes delivers as much nicotine as 3-4 cigarettes.

In addition, at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals have been identified in smokeless tobacco, including:

• nitrosamines—the most powerful cancer-causing agents in smokeless tobacco. Smokeless tobacco contains from 20 to 43,000 times more nitrosamines than other consumer products, such as beer or bacon!
• polonium 210—a radioactive form of the element polonium
• formaldehyde—a chemical found in the fluid used to preserve dead bodies
• cadmium—a metallic element used in batteries
• arsenic—a poisonous element used in insecticides

The use of smokeless tobacco can cause:

• cancers of the mouth, pharynx (throat), and esophagus (the tube that carries food to the stomach)
• shrinking of the gums around your teeth
• cracked lips, white spots, sores, and bleeding in the mouth
• increased risk for heart disease and stroke

Additional Information on Smokeless Tobacco:

Publications

1.   Fact Sheet: Smokeless Tobacco — This fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control lists facts and statistics about the health effects, estimated usage, high-risk populations, and manufacturers of smokeless tobacco.

   www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/smokeless/smokeless_tobacco.htm

2.   Smokeless Tobacco and Cancer: Questions and Answers — This fact sheet explains what smokeless tobacco is and the risks of using these products. In addition, information such as which individuals are most likely to use smokeless tobacco and how users can receive help are included in this fact sheet.

   http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/smokeless

3.   Spit Tobacco: A Guide for Quitting — This resource is a guide on how to stop using spit tobacco. It contains information about developing a plan for quitting, as well as information on coping with withdrawal.

   http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/SpitTobacco/SpitTobaccoAGuideforQuitting.htm...

4.   Ask Your Dental Hygienist About Tobacco Use and Periodontal Disease (Copyright © ADHA) — This publication includes information on the effects of tobacco on oral health. It explains what the warning signs of periodontal disease are and how tobacco increases the risk of developing it.

   http://www.adha.org/downloads/perio_smoking.pdf

5. Chewing Tobacco: Not a Risk-Free Alternative to Cigarettes (Copyright © MFMER) — This publication provides information on the serious health risks of using chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco such as snuff and betel quid. It discusses addiction, gum disease, cavities, heart disease, precancerous mouth sores, and oral cancer.

   http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chewing-tobacco/CA00019

6. Questions About Smoking, Tobacco, and Health (Copyright © ACS) — This publication answers common questions about health and tobacco use. It provides information on the various health effects of smoking, addiction, and the harmful chemicals cigarettes contain.

   http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2x_Questions_About_Smoking_Tobacco_and_Health.asp...

7. Smokeless Tobacco and How to Quit (Copyright © ACS) — This resource offers basic information on smokeless tobacco and the potential consequences of using these products. The fact sheet also offers an explanation of why tobacco is addictive and options to help users to quit, including quit programs and non-drug products.

   http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Quitting_Smokeless_Tobacco.asp...

8. Smokeless Tobacco: Tips on How to Stop (Copyright © AAFP) — This fact sheet provides information on why it is hard to stop using smokeless tobacco, but why it is important to quit. It gives tips on how to prepare to quit, what kind of replacements exist for smokeless tobacco, and what to do if you start using again.

   http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/addictions/tobacco/177.html

Organizations

1.   National Cancer Institute, NIH, HHS
2. American Cancer Society
3. American Legacy Foundation
4. Prevent Cancer Foundation

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated March 19, 2008.