Drug Unit

1. Drug Unit Smokeless Tobacco

2. What is Smokeless Tobacco? • There are two kinds of smokeless tobacco: chewing “chew” or sniffing “snuff” tobacco. Chewing tobacco is placed in a wad inside the cheek and sucked. Snuff is a powdered form of tobacco which is placed between the lower lip and teeth. Saliva mixes with tobacco juices, and although the user constantly spits, some trickles down the user’s throat and is swallowed.

3. How does it Work? • Smokeless tobacco contains most of the same harmful chemicals as smoking tobacco. The difference is that the chemicals enter the body though the lining of the mouth, throat, and stomach rather than the lungs.

4. Is Smokeless Tobacco Dangerous? • The nicotine in smokeless tobacco is just as addicting as that in cigarettes. Nicotine makes people feel energetic for a while, but this is often followed by tiredness or irritability. (An “up” and “down” feeling) It also produces an increased heart rate and blood pressure that may lead to heart disease. • Some chewing tobaccos contain more nicotine than cigarettes.

5. Can Smokeless Tobacco Cause Cancer? • YES! Smokeless tobacco can cause cancer of the mouth and throat. • The rates of these cancers are 10-50 times higher for users than for non-users • Rough white patches called leukoplakia often appear on the inside of the mouth and can turn to cancer. • The warning signs of cancer, such as leukoplakia or sores that don’t heal, are obvious and can be cured if caught early. • There is 10 times the amount of some cancer-causing substances in smokeless tobacco as in smoking tobacco.

6. Some Other Effects of Smokeless Tobacco: • Discoloration of teeth (this can be permanent brown or yellow) • Halitosis - bad breath • Decreased ability to taste or smell • Mouth sores (leaves you vulnerable to other diseases) • Gum disease: • When gums are irritated by tobacco they shrink or recede. • Spitting (users often spit out brown juice)