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Health Effects of Tobacco Use
Click the links below to get the latest information from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Health Canada:
About Tobacco
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Do you Know ... Tobacco
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Smoking and your Body
Health Canada
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What is spit tobacco? |
| Spit tobacco comes in two basic forms: - Chew is a leafy tobacco sold in pouches. Plug tobacco, which is sold in brick form, is also a form of chew. - Snuff is finely ground tobacco in powder form that is sold in small tins. This type of spit tobacco is held between the cheek and gum. |
Spit tobacco is a mixture of tobacco, nicotine, sweeteners, salt, flavouring agents, abrasives, and thousands of chemicals including 28 that are cancer-causing 1. A spit tobacco user's risk of developing oral cancer is 50 times greater than that of non-users. Because of the nicotine in spit tobacco, it is as addictive as smoking cigarettes. One tin of spit tobacco has the same amount of nicotine as 60 cigarettes 2. |
Some of the harmful chemicals found in spit tobacco include 3: - LEAD - a toxic substance that has been banned from paint products - FORMALDEHYDE - also used to preserve dead bodies - CYANIDE - a type of poison used in gas chambers - CADMIUM - also used in car batteries - POLONIUM 210 - a radioactive agent - ARSENIC - also used as rat poison - BENZENE - also used as a gasoline additive. |
| Who is using spit tobacco? | |
- According to the 2005 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 9% of youth aged 15 to 24 reported ever using spit tobacco. - Among youth aged 15 to 24, 15% of males and 4% of females reported ever using spit tobacco. |
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Why is spit tobacco sometimes called smokeless tobacco? |
The term "smokeless" tobacco is a term used by the tobacco industry to promote its product, giving it an illusion that it is not harmful because it is not smoked. This is not true. The word "smokeless" supports the deceptive marketing strategies of tobacco industries, and is a term that should not be used. Just because it is smokeless, does not mean it is harmless! |
| What are the health effects of spit tobacco use? | |
Short-term effects include: - Leukoplakia - precancerous lesions that form in the mouth - Staining of teeth - Bad breath (halitosis) - Worn spots or roughness on teeth - Red & inflamed gums (gingivitis) - Receding gums leading to tooth loss - Tooth decay - Addiction - this can happen very quickly with spit tobacco. Spit tobacco contains more nicotine than cigarettes. |
Long-term effects include: - Severe irritation of lining of the mouth (mucous membranes) - Cancers of the cheek and lip - Cancer of the pharynx (tendency to swallow some tobacco juice) - Cancer of the tongue - Cancer of the larynx - Cancer of the esophagus - Cancer of the urinary bladder (chemicals in tobacco eventually end up in urine) - High blood pressure (vasoconstriction of arteries) - Heart disease (increased workload on heart) - Stroke (nicotine weakens the delicate lining of the blood vessels) - Atherosclerosis (high cholesterol levels, plaque formation) - Addiction - a complex problem that affects not only the physical and mental health of individuals, but also their families and social environment. |
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Last Revised/Reviewed
Friday, 2010-03-05 3:06 PM