Is Smokeless Tobacco Safer Than Cigarettes?
Regardless of what you may have heard, smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco or snuff) causes cancer that kills. The use of smokeless tobacco products may lead to cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas and urinary tract. The use of smokeless tobacco products can also result in periodontal (gum) disease, tooth loss, tooth decay, tooth abrasion, dental stains, and loss of sense of taste and smell. Smokeless tobacco delivers the addicting drug nicotine into the body. For habitual users, the dose is similar to a one-pack-a-day-cigarette smoker. One can of snuff per day is equal to the amount of nicotine from three to four packs of cigarettes. Unlike cigarette smoking, chewing tobacco remains in contact with delicate oral tissues (lips, cheeks, gums and tongue) for long periods. At best, users of smokeless tobacco have irritated oral tissues, increased tooth decay and increased tooth loss. At worst, they develop oral cancers that can result in the surgical removal of oral ti
