Get the FACTS on Smokeless Tobacco (Chew and SNUS)
Every year, half a million kids in the U.S.—mostly boys and young men—try smokeless tobacco for the first time. Whether they’re tucking a pinch, or a pouch, of flavored tobacco behind their lip, or chewing on a wad of shredded tobacco leaves, the results are the same.
Nicotine and other dangerous, cancer-causing chemicals are released into the bloodstream, increasing the user’s risk of addiction, illness, and even death, usually for less than the cost of a pack of cigarettes.
Although you don’t inhale smokeless tobacco, there are still more than 4,000 chemicals in these products, and as many as 30 of these have been linked to cancer.
Smokeless tobacco use may cause tooth loss, gum disease, esophegeal cancer, pancreatic cancer and oral cancer.
Smokeless tobacco is loose ground tobacco and can be pacakged in colorful tins, paper pouches or in plastic dispensers.
Nicotine toothpicks are wooden toothpicks containing nicotine and flavors.. Some manufacturers simply coat the toothpicks with a mixture of nicotine, flavorings and preservatives
We all know how dangerous cigarettes and secondhand smoke can be, so it’s easy to assume that smokeless products are safe, but dip, snus, and chew contain many of the same toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, including arsenic, lead, formaldehyde, and 30 known cancer causers.
Smokeless tobacco products like dip, snus, and chew don’t look much alike, but they all contain nicotine, an addictive additive that can change the way a young brain develops, especially the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.
Smokeless products are not okay, even if some athletes use them. Athletes may do extraordinary things, but they’re still just people. Which means they’re vulnerable to addiction and unhealthy choices just like the rest of us. Smokeless products are addictive, carcinogenic, and deadly—even for athletes.
Flavored smokeless tobacco isn’t “better for you.” Flavors like mint, cherry, vanilla, and sour apple can give the impression that flavored dip, chew, and snus are safe, or mild version of conventional tobacco, but those flavors just help mask the harsh taste of tobacco and the thousands of chemicals in dip, snus, and chew.
Smokeless doesn’t make it harmless. No tobacco product is safe. Dip contains more than 4,000 chemicals and at least 30 of them can cause cancer. Don’t forget, the addictive nicotine in smokeless products can change the way a young brain grows and may harm a child’s impulse control and ability to learn.
Most kids don’t use smokeless tobacco products. Kids may see the variety of dip, snus, and chew in stores, around their community, and assume using smokeless tobacco is a popular choice. Remind your child that most Wisconsin youth choose to live tobacco free. In fact, 96 percent of Wisconsin high schoolers aren’t using dip, chew, or snus.
Just because these products aren’t smoked or inhaled does not make them safe. They increase the risk CANCERS later in life.
Concerned about a kid’s well-being?
Call 211 or 1-833-944-4673
The Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline can help you find local services and support. It’s free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.