What are the physical and mental effects of smokeless tobacco use?
Cancer. Smokeless tobacco is a cancer-causing agent or carcinogen. Cancers are most likely to develop at the site where tobacco is held in the mouth, but it may also include the lips, tongue, cheek, and throat. Leukoplakia. Smokeless tobacco users may develop a condition in which white spots form on the gums, inside of the cheeks and sometimes tongue. It can be caused by the irritation from the tobacco juice. The disorder can be considered pre-cancerous. Therefore, if a white patch does not heal within one week, a doctor should be consulted. Heart disease. The stimulating effects of nicotine, an organic compound made out of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sometimes oxygen, increase the heart rate and blood pressure and may trigger irregular heart beats. Gum and tooth disease. Smokeless tobacco permanently discolors teeth, causes halitosis (bad breath), and may contribute to tooth loss. Smokeless tobacco contains a lot of sugar which forms and acid that may eat away the tooth enamel cau
