Through with Chew Week 2013 is coming up on February 17th-23rd. This national observance is used to draw awareness to the issue of smokeless tobacco. Tobacco products like chew, dip, and snuff are not harmless, but because they’re smokeless, youth and adults may underestimate the serious health risks associated with these products.
Constant exposure to tobacco juices from these smokeless products can cause oral cancers, which can form within just five years of regular use and can cause cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach, and pancreas. Smokeless tobacco use can increase the risk of oral cancers by 80 percent and the risk of pancreatic and esophageal cancer by 60 percent, according to a 2008 study from the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Aside from the increased risk of cancer, using smokeless tobacco can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. It can lead to other oral problems such as mouth sores, gum recession, tooth decay, and permanent discoloration of teeth. Like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco products contain nicotine, a highly addictive and dangerous chemical. Smokeless tobacco users and cigarette smokers have comparable levels of nicotine in the blood, according to the National Cancer Institute.
For more information on smokeless tobacco, please visit this site.
