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TALK Program (Tobacco Affects the Lives of Kids)
Additional resources for TALK Program (PDF):
Smokeless (Spit) Tobacco
Smokeless or spit tobacco is tobacco that is placed inside the mouth and comes in two forms: chewing tobacco and snuff.
Spit tobacco is composed of tobacco, sweeteners and salts to improve the flavor and chemicals such as formaldehyde, arsenic and cyanide. Spit tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive substance. A tin of snuff has approximately the same amount of nicotine as 60 cigarettes. In just one "pinch" of snuff, there would be approximately 4 to 5 cigarettes worth of nicotine and chemicals.
All Tobacco is Harmful
Spit tobacco is not safer than smoking and many people get hooked before they know the facts. There are short and long-term health effects associated with spit tobacco use. Some of the short-term effects include: increase heart rate and blood pressure and reduced appetite. Some long-term effects include: high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, loss of taste and smell, tiredness, muscle weakness, dizziness, depression, mood swings, lack of energy, gum disease, tooth decay and cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus. There are other risks such as the spread of germs when spitting out tobacco that increases the risk of passing an infection to others. Pregnant women who use spit tobacco put their unborn child at risk for low birth weight and an early delivery.
Spit tobacco users can experience withdrawal symptoms when quitting and would benefit from nicotine replacement therapy and tobacco cessation counselling to increase their success for quitting.
See Smokeless (Spit) Tobacco (PDF) for more information.
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