You can call chewing tobacco by whatever name you want – smokeless tobacco, spit tobacco, chew, chaw, plug, snuff, pinch, or dip – but don't call it harmless.
1. 60-78% of chewing tobacco users have oral lesions. Exposure to tobacco juice causes cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach and pancreas.
2. Smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 cancer causing chemicals.
3. Smokeless tobacco users are 4-6X more likely to develop oral cancer compared to non-users and these cancers can form within 5 years of regular use.
4. Chewing tobacco is not safer or a safe alternative to smoking. A can of chew contains about the same amount of nicotine as 4 packs of cigarettes.
5. Smokeless tobacco is associated with recession of the gums, gum disease, tooth decay, cavities, loose teeth, and mouth lesions including leukoplakia – a precancerous lesion of the soft tissue in the mouth.
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Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
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CDC
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TobaccoFreeUtah.org
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OralHealthAmerica.org
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Cancer.gov
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