"Snuffing" out your health

Smoking cigarettes and associated health risks are widely known, but less known are the health risks of tobacco consumption in smokeless forms. Chewing tobacco and snuff have the potential to be as dangerous to your health as smoking cigarettes. When compared to cigarettes, chewing tobacco and snuff contain "considerably more" nicotine than found in a cigarette (1).

Nicotine is not the only reason that using smokeless tobacco is a serious health concern. About 30 carcinogens have been identified with chewing tobacco and snuff (2). The carcinogens are absorbed and enter the body through the tissue lining the inside of mouth. Absorption is enhanced by the act of chewing, which causes slight abrasions in the tissue. These carcinogens, once absorbed, can have serious consequences to the user's health. At a recent conference of the International Association for Dental Research, a symposium on smokeless tobacco, stated that snuff dipping was a causal factor and specifically associated with cancer of the cheek, gum, and pharynx (3).

While the use of smokeless tobaccos has been steadily decreasing in the general population over the past 15 years, the use of snuff is up by 15% (4). More disturbing is that the use of smokeless tobaccos, including snuff, is growing among young people, especially teenage boys (5).

If you use smokeless tobacco in any form, try to quit. The risk of cancer to the mouth and pharynx area is a very real and serious health concern. Even if you no longer use smokeless tobacco, talk with your dentist about screenings for oral cancer. Often your dentist can take full x-rays of the mouth and jaw region to see if any unusual growths are present. Constant, regular check-ups can increase your chances of spotting any possible cancerous growths early and lead to effective treatment.

[1] "Making it Official: U.S. Government Closer to Listing Smokeless Tobacco as Carcinogen", ADA News, April 20, 1998, Vol. 29, No.8.
[2] Ibid.
{3] International Association for Dental Research, Notes from symposium on the use of chewing tobacco.
[4] "Smokeless Tobacco an Oral Health Risk", Dentistry Today, May 1998, Vol. 17, No. 5.
[5] Ibid.