The 4-1-1 on Spit Tobacco

A lot of people think spit tobacco isn't harmful to your health or that it's a safe alternative to cigarettes - think again! Read on for the 4-1-1 on Spit Tobacco.

Spit tobacco (also called smokeless tobacco) is at least as addictive as cigarette smoking. It's been proven to cause cancer of the mouth and other oral cancers (like cancer of the tongue). It also causes other oral health problems, like tooth loss, inflamed and receding gums, and leukoplakia (raised white patches that may turn into cancer).
After only three years of using spit tobacco, three out of four users have lesions in their mouths. Who wants to kiss someone with open sores in their mouth?
In 1970, males 65 and older were almost six times as likely as those aged 18-24 to use spit tobacco regularly (12.7% vs. 2.2%). By 1991, young males were 50 percent more likely than the oldest males to use spit tobacco (8.4% vs. 5.6%). (CDC MMWR, 1994)
Spit tobacco contains nitrosamines – proven and potent cancer-causers. (Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 1999)
In a survey of North Carolina high school students, about 14.5 percent of all males had used smokeless tobacco in the last 30 days. (N.C. YTS 2007)
Spit tobacco is linked to dental problems such as cavities, decayed dental roots, gum disease, and bone and tooth loss. (Journal of the ADA, 1999)
It is believed that smokeless tobacco use is more broadly accepted in the western parts of North Carolina. A survey of elementary school boys in our state found that 35 percent of 1st grade boys had tried smokeless tobacco, and 70 percent of 7th grade boys had tried it. In first grade... at age SIX... over a THIRD of boys have tried smokeless tobacco!!! And almost three-quarters of 7th grade boys have tried it. (NCMJ, 1990)
The U.S. Surgeon General has determined that the use of spit tobacco can lead to oral cancer, gum disease and nicotine addiction, and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. (SGR, 1986)
Since spit tobacco contains varying levels and types of cancer-causing chemicals, and causes other types of health problems compared to cigarettes, the only way to reduce an individual tobacco user’s health risks to the maximum extent possible is to quit using tobacco entirely. (Tobacco Control, 2007)
For more information on spit tobacco and teens, see the 2007 N.C. YTS Spit Report (link opens in new window).