Spit, Chew or Dip

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Smokeless Tobacco

Smokeless or spit tobacco use is a known cause of cancer, and not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. In fact, typically spit tobacco is more addictive than cigarettes because the percentage of nicotine found in smokeless tobacco is so much higher than in cigarettes. Dipping causes lip, cheek, tongue, and other types of oral cancer. The longer you dip, the greater your chances of getting oral cancer.

Even if you don't know the harm of spit tobacco, your body does.

Your gums pull away from your teeth where the tobacco is held. Once this happens, the gums do not grow back.
The toxic chemicals in tobacco can cause white, wrinkled skin patches inside your mouth called leukoplekia (precancer)
Long-term nicotine dependence and its associated health risks are the primary behavioral consequences of regular spit tobacco use. Use of spit tobacco may possibly lead to harmful in utero effects. Heavy metals such as lead and cadmium have been found in spit tobacco products at levels that could be harmful to a fetus.
Benign oral lesions may occur after only a few years of spit tobacco use. Some teenagers have developed mouth cancer after only 3 years of using spit tobacco.

Oral cancer is hard to cure because it spreads fast. If not caught right away, major surgery is often needed to take out parts of your mouth, jaw, and tongue. Even if you don't find a problem, see your dentist or doctor for a mouth check every 3 months.

For Early Warning Signs - check your mouth often. Look closely at places where you hold the tobacco. See your doctor or dentist right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

A sore that bleeds easily and doesn't heal
A lump or thickening anywhere in your mouth or neck
Soreness or swelling that doesn't go away
A red or grayish white patch on the inner cheek that doesn't go away
Trouble chewing, swallowing, or moving your tongue or jaw

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