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Smokeless tobacco is a tobacco product that's not burned so it doesn’t produce smoke. Instead it is chewed, sucked on, or even sniffed into the nose, allowing its juices to be absorbed into the body through the mouth or nose.
It comes in a variety of forms and has many different names:
People who use smokeless tobacco may swallow the tobacco juice or spit it out (it’s sometimes called spit tobacco). Either way, smokeless tobacco releases a lot of nicotine and other harmful chemicals into the bloodstream.
Smokeless tobacco has been around for hundreds of years. Its use went down in the 20th century when cigarettes became popular, but rose again when U.S. baseball players in the 1970s began using it, thinking it was safer than smoking.
Many people still believe that using smokeless tobacco is safer than smoking, but that's not true. Using smokeless tobacco is as dangerous as smoking cigarettes and can seriously damage the body. But when people start using a tobacco product, it can be hard for them to stop. That's because all tobacco products contain nicotine, which is very addictive. Some types of smokeless tobacco contain more nicotine than cigarettes, so it can be even harder to quit using smokeless tobacco than to quit smoking.
Serious health risks of smokeless tobacco include:
Smokeless tobacco also causes bad breath, yellowish-brown stains on the teeth, and mouth sores in most users.
Use of smokeless tobacco during pregnancy can cause the baby to be born early, or sometimes even be stillborn. It can also affect how the baby’s brain develops.
The dissolvable form of tobacco looks like candy and may even taste good. This can make it attractive to children who might swallow it and get nicotine poisoning.
If you use smokeless tobacco, and want to quit:
Quitting smokeless tobacco is just like quitting smoking. Find support online that can help with addiction to any tobacco products:
Try these substitutes for smokeless tobacco while trying to quit:
Quitting any kind of tobacco use is hard, and slip-ups are common. But don't give up. Your chances of quitting get better each time you try!
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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