This week is designated Through With Chew Week, to call attention to the dangers of using chew, which includes chewing tobacco, spit tobacco, dip, snus, and snuff.
Did you know that keeping an average size dip in your mouth for 30 minutes can give you as much nicotine as smoking three cigarettes? On average, chew products deliver a higher dose of nicotine than cigarettes making the product more habit forming.
Chew also contains at least 28 chemicals that have been found to cause cancer in the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas. Smokeless tobacco can also cause gum disease, heart disease, precancerous mouth sores, and cavities.
Warning signs of possible health problems from chew include:
- A lump in the neck
- Change in voice
- A growth or white spots inside the mouth
- Swallowing problems
- Persistent earache
- Blood in saliva or phlegm
- Changes in the skin
For more information about smokeless tobacco, please visit http://www.nobutts.org/chew or download our free fact sheet.
If you are ready to quit chew, please call the California Smokers’ Helpline at 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887) or register online by clicking the image below:
