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There are many health risks associated with smokeless tobacco use, including receding and swollen gums, leukoplakia (many phases of lip and gum tissue damage), and oral, lip and facial cancers. Far too many near deaths and deaths have occurred among kids and young adults during the past twenty years. |
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American "smokeless" is primarily sold in two types: One, chewing tobacco ("chew" for slang in the northern US, "chaw" in the South), which is a drier, leafier product usually sold in pouches; and secondly, oral moist snuff (commonly referred to as "dip" or "snuff'), which is most commonly sold in round tins/cans and is more moist and finely ground (similar to coffee grounds) than chewing tobacco. Quite often, both types are referred to as "chewing tobacco." Mostly these products are never really "chewed", rather the user shifts these tobacco products with the tongue around the mouth and in the lower cheeks.
Since smokeless tobacco users are overwhelmingly male, oftentimes sports, hunting and fishing and music trade publications are the '”selling" media. There are girls however who also use these products.
Sales of oral mouth snuff in particular have increased markedly since the late 1970's, when previously bitter-tasting and heavily nicotine-laced snuff products were redesigned. Flavored, "easy-to-use” packets and lower nicotine doses were introduced to appeal to younger users, especially adolescents and even preteens. Before the late 1980's electronic media ban, several baseball and football athletes were used as celebrity advertising spokespersons.
The nicotine "loads" in smokeless tobacco can be startling. Many of the top-selling snuff brands contain the nicotine equivalent of 2-4 packs of cigarettes per can. One wad in a user's mouth can equal the nicotine of 5-10 cigarettes. Therefore addiction often happens very quickly. Quitting can be an overwhelming challenge.
(Note: This article appeared in the Independent School Health Association (ISHA) Fall, 2004 Newsletter. Special thanks to ISHA. For more information about the ISHA please visit www.ishanet.org).
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The Use |
The Effect |
