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Chew Facts

Facts About Smokeless Tobacco

Smokeless tobacco is placed inside the mouth and referred to as a “wad”. And like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco also contains nicotine, an addictive drug, giving the user a continuous high.

  • 8-10 dips (or chews) contain the same amount of nicotine as two packs of cigarettes.
  • Holding an average-size dip in the mouth for just 30-minutes can deliver as much nicotine as smoking three cigarettes at one time.

Smokeless tobacco comes in three forms:

  • CHEW: A leafy form of tobacco sold in pouches. (Users keep the chew between the cheek and gums for several hours at a time.)
  • PLUG: Chew tobacco that has been pressed into a brick.
  • SNUFF: A powdered, moist form of tobacco sold in tins. Users put the snuff between the lower lip or cheek and the gum. (Some users will sniff it as well.)

In 2001, the five largest tobacco manufacturers spent $236.7 million on the advertising and promotion of smokeless tobacco.

Health Risks

  • Emergency room doctorsSmokeless tobacco is a known cause of human cancer and specifically increases the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity (mouth, throat, cheek, gums, lips and tongue).
  • Each year, about 30,000 Americans learn they have mouth and throat cancer, and nearly 8,000 Americans die of these diseases.
  • Only about half of people diagnosed with mouth or throat cancer survive more than five years.
  • Besides cancer, other consequences of chewing and smokeless tobacco include:
    • Mouth sores called leukoplakia – small white patches that are considered precancerous.
    • Bleeding and receding gums
    • Tooth decay and tooth loss
    • Narrows blood vessels which puts added strain on your heart
    • Increased heart rate, high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats
    • A greater risk of heart attacks and brain damage from strokes

Pennsylvania Statistics

Rates of Use:

  • In 2002, 8% of public high school students (and 2.8% of public middle school students) currently used smokeless tobacco. In 2005 the number increased to 11% of all high school students.

Experimentation:

  • Nearly 20% of students in public high schools and 10%of students in public middle schools have used smokeless tobacco products at some point in their lives.
  • 15% of current users in public high schools (and 48% of users in middle schools) tried smokeless tobacco for the first time before age 11.

Peer Influence:Emergency room doctors

  • Over 48% of current users in public high school (and over 43% of current users in public middle school) have at least one smokeless tobacco users among their four closest friends.

Role Models:

  • Approximately 7% Pennsylvania adults have used smokeless tobacco in the past 30 days.
  • The majority of adult smokeless tobacco users (41%) are from the Southwestern, Northwestern and Northcentral Health Districts.

National Statistics

Overall:

  • Smokeless tobacco use in the United States is higher among young white males, American Indians and Alaska Natives.
  • People living in southern and north-central states also have a higher use rates.
  • People who are employed in blue collar occupations, service/laborer jobs, or who are unemployed are among the highest users of smokeless tobacco among all income levels.

Adults:

  • Nationally, an estimated 3% of adults are current users.
  • Smokeless tobacco use is much higher among adult men (6%) than adult women (0.3%).

Under 18:

  • One-third of all users are under 21. More than half of those developed the habit before they were 13-years-old.
  • An estimated 7% of high school students and 3% of middle school students are current smokeless tobacco users.

Gender:

  • As many as 20% of high school boys and 2% of high school girls currently use smokeless tobacco.
  • Among middle school students, smokeless tobacco is more common among males (4%) than females (2%).

Race:

  • Estimates by race/ethnicity among high school students are 8% for white, 5% for Hispanic, and 3% for African American high school students.
  • Middle School estimates by race/ethnicity are 3% for white, 1% for Asian, 2% for African American, and 4% for Hispanic students.

The facts, figures and statistics in these sections are a compilation of those provided by the following organizations:

  • The Pennsylvania Department of Health
  • National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP)
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office
  • The American Cancer Society
  • Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research