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Many people think using smokeless tobacco is safer than smoking. But even though there is no smoke, that doesn't mean it's safe. Smokeless tobacco has very high levels of nicotine, much more than cigarettes. It's full of harmful chemicals. And it can cause many kinds of health problems.
What is smokeless tobacco?
Smokeless tobacco is a mixture of:
It is sold in 2 main forms:
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Chew. Chew comes in 2 types. The first is the most popular and usually is simply called chew. This is a leafy form of tobacco. It's often sweetened with molasses or similar substances. It is sold in pouches. Users keep the chew between their cheek and gums for several hours at a time. The second type is called a plug. A plug is tobacco leaves that have been pressed into a brick. Users often bite off or cut a piece of the plug off and place it between the gum and cheek.
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Snuff. Snuff comes in 2 types: moist and nasal (powdered). Moist snuff is often called dip. It's sold in a circular can called a tin. The tobacco is often flavored. Users place the tobacco between their lip and gum. This process is known as dipping. Dry snuff is meant to be breathed in. A user often places the powder on the back of their hand in a natural space that is called the snuff box. The user then snorts the powder up their nose. Using snuff also is called dipping.
High levels of nicotine
A person who uses smokeless tobacco gets 3 to 4 times the amount of nicotine as a smoker. A person who uses 8 to 10 dips or chews a day gets the same amount of nicotine as a heavy smoker who smokes 30 to 40 cigarettes a day.
Smokeless tobacco is addictive. The addiction is mostly caused by the nicotine. The nicotine in smokeless tobacco is absorbed by the body more slowly than in smoking. But it stays in the body longer. And chew tobacco placed inside the mouth gives the user a constant high from the nicotine.
Many harmful chemicals
The most harmful chemicals in smokeless tobacco are called tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). These chemicals can cause cancer. TSNAs are formed as tobacco is grown, cured, fermented, and aged. The amount of these chemicals in smokeless tobacco can be very high.
Other harmful chemicals in smokeless tobacco include:
How it can affect health
Like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco affects the cardiovascular system. It can cause:
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Heart disease
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Stroke
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High blood pressure
Smokeless tobacco can cause many mouth problems, such as:
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Cracking and bleeding lips and gums
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Precancer mouth sores called oral leukoplakia
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Tooth abrasion
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Receded gums
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Gum and tooth disease
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Loss of teeth and bone in the jaw
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Long-term (chronic) bad breath
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Teeth staining
Smokeless tobacco can also cause cancer. Cancer can happen in these areas:
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Lips
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Tongue
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Cheek
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Throat
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Stomach
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Esophagus
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Pancreas
How to quit
Quitting smokeless tobacco is hard. But it can be done. To break the habit:
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Talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them where you can get support in your effort to quit.
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Ask about nicotine replacement. This includes products, such as nicotine gum or a patch.
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Try using substitutes. Try tobacco-free mint-leaf snuff, sugarless gum, hard candy, beef jerky, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, raisins, or other dried fruit.
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Make a list of the reasons you want to quit. Keep it with you and look at it often.
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Get involved in healthy activities. These may be things like lifting weights, shooting baskets, or swimming.
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Manage your triggers. Find replacements for the things that make you want to use tobacco. Stay away from places or people that make you want to use it.
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Reward yourself. Quitting is hard. Every day you don't use tobacco is a success!
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Use free community resources. For some people, online and in-person support groups can help them stay away from tobacco. Some of these include:
FAQs
Smokeless tobacco can cause many mouth problems, such as: Cracking and bleeding lips and gums. Precancer mouth sores called oral leukoplakia. Tooth abrasion.
What are the 2 most common illnesses caused by smokeless tobacco? ›
Key Facts about Smokeless Tobacco
Smokeless tobacco use can cause gum disease, tooth decay, tooth loss and the formation of white or gray patches inside the mouth called leukoplakia that can lead to cancer. Smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy increases the risk for early delivery and stillbirth.
What is the main carcinogen found in smokeless tobacco? ›
They are also exposed to more than 25 chemicals that are known to cause cancer. The most harmful cancer-causing substances in smokeless tobacco are tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). TSNA levels vary by product, but the higher the level the greater the cancer risk.
What are 4 toxic ingredients in smokeless tobacco? ›
What is in smokeless tobacco?
- Polonium 210 (nuclear waste)
- Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
- Cadmium (used in car batteries)
- Lead (nerve poison)
- Nitrosamines (cancer causing substances)
- Arsenic.
- Cyanide.
Smokeless tobacco products might expose people to lower levels of harmful chemicals than tobacco smoke. But that doesn't mean these products are a safe substitute for smoking. Smokeless tobacco has nicotine, which can lead to addiction. It also contains dozens of chemicals that can cause cancer.
What are the health facts about smokeless tobacco? ›
Health Effects of Smokeless Tobacco
- Smokeless tobacco products can contain nicotine, which is addictive.
- Smokeless tobacco products cause cancer of the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas.
- These products can cause nicotine poisoning in children.
But the nicotine in Zyn pouches is highly addictive and it may increase cardiovascular disease risk in people not already using nicotine products, Rees said. “Teens and young adults who do not smoke or vape should avoid this product,” he said.
What organs does chewing tobacco affect? ›
Chewing tobacco can cause many types of cancer, including cancer of the mouth, tongue, gums, stomach, oesophagus (throat) and bladder. Heavy users might also notice that their teeth can start to get worn down and stained by the chewing tobacco, which can also cause the gums to recede.
How long does chewing tobacco stay in your system? ›
Studies have shown that nicotine can stay in your body for up to seven days. If you only use dip from time to time, it can still stay in your system for up to five days. Withdrawal from nicotine can be tough, so rely on stress management, cravings busters and exercise to help lessen your temptation to dip.
What is the addictive chemical in smokeless tobacco? ›
Tobacco products are addictive because they contain nicotine. Nicotine keeps people using tobacco products, even when they want to stop.
No. Nicotine is a common chemical compound found in tobacco plants, and its effect is to make tobacco addictive rather than to cause cancer directly. People who are addicted are more likely to continue to expose themselves to the carcinogens in smoked or smokeless tobacco.
How many cigarettes is a can of dip equal to? ›
A tin of snuff has the same amount of nicotine as 60 cigarettes. An average amount of dip or chew, held in the mouth for 30 minutes, has as much nicotine as smoking four cigarettes! What are the health risks associated with smokeless tobacco?
What is the healthiest tobacco? ›
There is no safe smoking option – tobacco is always harmful. Light, low-tar and filtered cigarettes aren't any safer – people usually smoke them more deeply or smoke more of them. The only way to reduce harm is to quit smoking.
Does chewing tobacco affect the kidneys? ›
Key Points. Smoking or chewing tobacco can increase blood pressure, which may lead to kidney disease. Smoking may worsen kidney disease and can interfere with medications that are used to treat high blood pressure.
What cancers are linked to smokeless tobacco? ›
Cancer caused by smokeless tobacco often begins as leukoplakia, with a whitish patch that develops inside the mouth or throat. Or the cancer may erythroplakia. With this condition, a red, raised patch develops inside the mouth. It's also linked to esophageal and pancreatic cancers.
What toxins are in smokeless tobacco? ›
When you chew smokeless tobacco, the addictive chemical nicotine is absorbed through the tissue in your mouth, and other chemicals such as lead, formaldehyde, and carcinogens, like cadmium and arsenic, are also released.
What does chewing tobacco do to your stomach? ›
Some of the poisons from tobacco can get into the lining of your stomach, your throat, and into your bladder resulting in cancer in these locations. Chewing tobacco use can lead to nicotine addiction and dependence.
What are 2 diseases linked to tobacco use? ›
Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Estimates show smoking increases the risk: For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times. For stroke by 2 to 4 times.
What is the top sickness of tobacco caused by? ›
| Bacterial diseases |
|---|
| Angular leaf spot (Synonym: Wildfire, Black fire) | Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci) |
| Granville wilt | Ralstonia solanacearum, formerly Pseudomonas solanacearum |
| Hairy roots | Agrobacterium rhizogenes |
| Hollow stalk | Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica |
1 more rowTobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals including:
- nicotine.
- carbon monoxide.
- tar.
- toxic chemicals such as benzene, arsenic and formaldehyde.
Find out more about the different diseases that are caused by smoking and learn the steps necessary to quit smoking today.
- Lung Cancer. Smoking dramatically increases your chances of developing lung cancer. ...
- COPD. ...
- Heart Disease. ...
- Stroke. ...
- Aortic Aneurysm. ...
- Oropharyngeal Cancer. ...
- Esophageal Cancer. ...
- Cataracts.
