5 Things You Need to Know About Chew
Dip, snus, pouches, chew, chaw, snuff… No matter what you call it, smokeless tobacco remains a serious health threat. Typically found in cans or tins, users take a pinch of this fine-grained tobacco and place it in their mouths, usually tucking it between their bottom lip and gum. After just a few moments, nicotine rushes into the blood stream.
In spite of the numerous health risks, there is a perception that smokeless tobacco is somehow safer — or less addictive — than cigarettes. It’s time to correct this falsehood. Here are 5 things you need to know about dip:
1.) What’s in a Pinch:
Carcinogens such as lead, formaldehyde, arsenic and cadmium. These chemicals, alongside nicotine, enter by a user’s bloodstream with each pinch.
2.) 3x the Nicotine:
What makes dip so addictive? Nicotine. In fact, an average-sized pinch of chew yields 3 times the nicotine of one cigarette.
3.) Smokeless is NOT Harmless
The risks of chewing tobacco: Cancer of the esophagus and pancreas, gum disease, tooth loss, heart disease and stroke.
4.) Male Dominated
Who uses chew? Overwhelmingly, it’s men. It may not be surprising, but it is concerning. In Oklahoma, 10.1%. of male high school students use smokeless tobacco. Compared to the national average of just 4.8%, we have plenty of work to do.
5.) Gateway to Smoking
People who dip or chew — especially younger users — are more likely to smoke cigarettes later in life.
Smokeless tobacco delivers a potent dose of nicotine that has hooked millions. It’s led to countless deaths and untold suffering. Big Tobacco sees it as a key part of their revenue stream — especially in rural areas and southern states. Thousands of Oklahomans are hooked. One thing about smokeless tobacco is clear: just because it’s smokeless, doesn’t mean it’s harmless.
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