Is smokeless tobacco a safe substitute for cigarettes?

Absolutely not. The use of smokeless tobacco (also called spit tobacco) increases the risk for cancer of the lip, tongue, cheeks, gums, and mouth. Smokeless tobacco also may cause white mouth patches that can become cancerous, gum disease, and receding gums (gums that have pulled away from the teeth).

In addition, researchers are studying whether smokeless tobacco causes other types of cancer, as well as heart disease, diabetes, and reproductive problems.

All tobacco products contain nicotine, which can cause addiction. The amount of nicotine you get from smokeless tobacco is three to four times the amount you get from cigarettes. Also, the nicotine in smokeless tobacco stays in your bloodstream longer.

There are two types of smokeless tobacco - snuff and chewing tobacco. Snuff is shredded tobacco that is packaged dry, moist, or in tea bag-like pouches. Users place a pinch of snuff between their cheek and gum. Chewing tobacco is available in loose leaf, plug, or twist forms. The user puts a wad inside the cheek.

Chewing tobacco and snuff contain 28 cancer-causing substances. The most harmful are the tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are formed during the curing, fermenting, and aging of tobacco.

An estimated 7.6 million Americans age 12 and older use smokeless tobacco. The most common users are men ages 18 to 25.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that everyone avoid or stop using all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco.

The Cancer Information Service and other national organizations provide materials on the health risks of smokeless tobacco and help with quitting. For contact information, call 1-800-4-CANCER.

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