Is smokeless tabacco as bad as cigarettes?

Question

I use smokeless tabacco and I was wondering if It was as bad as smoking.

Answer 1

I'm addicted to Nicotine but I also love running, Smokeless tobacco is easier on my lungs, But I'm trying to quite smokeless tobacco, however it is ten times harder to quite than cigarettes.

But as far a lungs and harming others with secondhand smoke, Smokeless tobacco is not as bad as cigarettes, from that stand point.

Answer 2

Its FAR MORE ADDICTIVE. Smokeless tobacco is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream through the gums. They also use fiberglass in the tobacco to cut your gums to help it get into your bloodstream quicker read the INGREDIENTS on the side. You will just get MOUTH CANCER instead of LUNG CANCER. Keep doing the smokeless tobacco and you will eventually get a HOLE IN YOUR MOUTH AND LIPS. THAT'S ATTRACTIVE YES.

Answer 3

Yes, this habit you actually get to SEE the damage...receding and ulcerated gums, loosened yellow teeth and foul breath...plus it's HARDER to quit because it delivers more tar and nicotine to your bloodstream.

YUMMY!

Answer 4

yes it is,the juices from the chew stays in your mouth and throat all the time.there for causeing cancer in the mouth and thoart faster then smoking

Answer 5

Still causes cancer, just different types.

Answer 6

it causes about as many problems, just different problems; instead of lung cancer you get oral cancer.

Answer 7

Well, if you enjoy your teeth and lip it is.

Answer 8

Possibly as bad if not worse!

"There are 30 chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer, and smokeless tobacco products contain 10 times the amount of nitrosamine as cigarettes. Smokeless products are not safe alternatives to smoking. Smokeless users risk a 50-fold increase in cheek and gum cancer. All tobacco products contain chemicals and carcinogens. Nicotine causes stress on your cardiovascular system. It doesn’t matter which vehicle (smoking or using smokeless tobacco) you use to get the nicotine into the body. Nicotine content: 1 can of dip = 3 packs of cigarettes (90-150 mg of nicotine) Smokers may resort to using smokeless tobacco to get a larger, faster, more frequent dose of nicotine. U.S. users spend approximately 30 billion dollars annually on tobacco. The average U.S. smoker spends about $1000 on tobacco each year. Smokers cost companies an estimated 65 billion dollars per year in absenteeism and higher health care costs. The U.S. Tobacco Industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that sells a product, which kills its user when it is used as intended. In order to maintain a demand level for its product (More than 1,000 users die each day.), the industry spends in excess of 6.9 million dollars daily in advertising.

Over 4,000 chemicals have been identified in tobacco products. Carcinogens, the cancer causing substances, are found in all tobacco products. Carbon monoxide (poisonous gas in auto exhaust) is abundant in cigarette smoke. Nicotine is the addictive drug in all tobacco products. It gets people hooked and keeps them using tobacco. Nicotine stresses the nervous system. It causes the brain to see the use of tobacco as a pleasurable experience. Nicotine is also a very effective appetite suppressant. Hunger is eliminated within 15 minutes of use. Every "hit" of nicotine causes the nervous system to produce a false stress response. The heart rate increases, the blood pressure increases, and the blood vessels constrict. Nicotine is a stressor! The damage that occurs with continued nicotine use is the same as the damage that occurs with unmanaged stress. Nicotine causes this same stress reaction with every hit, and over time, the body does not return to normal. The heart rate is elevated, the blood pressure is elevated, peripheral parts of the body no longer get adequate blood supply, and the immune response is depressed. Nicotine also produces a physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms occur when the blood level of nicotine falls. These withdrawal symptoms may include difficulty concentrating, irritability, and sleep disturbances. The longer the body goes without nicotine, the stronger these symptoms become. When the body is once again given a “hit” it feels better. This is why people who are nicotine dependent think tobacco-use relaxes them. Most people with physical nicotine dependence begin to crave nicotine within 30 minutes of their last "hit". At this point the user begins thinking about how to get another “hit.

Nicotine makes the mind see tobacco use as pleasurable. This is psychological dependence. A good example of the euphoriant power of nicotine is hearing the tobacco user say, "Well, I really don't want to quit, I like it." Sound familiar? This psychological dependence frequently causes one to feel "out of control." When your mind no longer sees tobacco use as a pleasurable event but rather as a psychological crutch, you will regain your feeling of being in control. Nicotine is an appetite suppressant. Studies show that the average weight gain with tobacco cessation is 2-15 pounds with healthy nutrition and exercise plans. After a year of tobacco freedom, the metabolism seems to readjust and continued weight gain does not occur unless eating habits established during the cessation process are unhealthy habits. Attention to establishing and maintaining a high fiber, low fat, heart healthy diet will assist with minimizing weight gain during cessation and set you up for a lifetime of good nutrition care. Research has also found that exercise is a key in maintaining long-term success. Nicotine is an addictive drug. It often takes 3-7 serious attempts to become tobacco free. According to Thomas Edison, "I have not failed 10,000 times, but have successfully found 10,000 ways that do not work." SEEK A WAY THAT WORKS!

We've all seen the ads. Perhaps it is a rugged cowboy drawing in the reins of his horse at the top of a hill overlooking all of Montana to have a smoke. He represents the very picture of virility. But the truth is quite different, even though it's not often mentioned in pamphlets about the dangers of tobacco use. Did you know that men who use tobacco are 50 percent more likely to suffer from impotence than men who do not use tobacco? Nicotine and Impotence Nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor. That is, it constricts the arteries and blood vessels, including those that are responsible for a man's erection. Nicotine also lowers testosterone and other hormone levels in the blood. And it increases the concentrations of fatty acids in the blood, leading to clogged arteries and further restricting blood flow to the genitals. What about Women? Women who use tobacco also have cause for concern. There is evidence that tobacco use can interfere with a woman's ability to have an orgasm. Nicotine can also damage ovaries, causing menstrual abnormalities and decreased estrogen production. It can lead to early menopause with such side effects as increased aging and vaginal dryness.

Bad breath, smelly hair and clothes, and yellow teeth and fingers are not exactly a turn-on. And chewing tobacco is just plain gross. When you give up tobacco use, you immediately become more attractive to your tobacco free friends and coworkers. Perhaps the very real dangers of cancer and heart disease seem remote when you’re young and healthy. But your sexual enjoyment is something that tobacco use could affect right now or in the very near future. It’s just one more reason to break the nicotine habit.

There is a widely held myth that smokeless tobacco is a safe alternative to cigarettes. Actually it is just as dangerous as smoking.

Myths – Dip/chew is safeBecause there is no second-hand smoke, there is no harm to others Dip/chew is a safe alternative to smoking How Smokeless Tobacco Works Snuff is a cured, ground form of tobacco that can be inhaled or chewed. Dry snuff is inhaled through the nose or placed inside the nostril, while wet snuff is held between the lips or between the cheek and gum. Chewing tobacco is available in several forms including plugs, twists, and loose leaf. In all cases, chemicals from the smokeless tobacco are absorbed into the bloodstream through mucous membranes in the mouth. Because the nicotine in snuff and chewing tobacco is released gradually, their effects seem to last longer than the effects of cigarettes. Nicotine Absorption in 30 Minutes Chewing Tobacco – 4.5 mg Oral Snuff – 3.6 mg Cigarettes – 1.8 mg

As you can see, snuff and chew have 3 to 5 times more nicotine than cigarettes, making them much more addictive. Physical Effects of

Snuff and Chew
More chemically addictive than cigarettes. Like cigarettes, may cause heart disease and certain kinds of cancer. Specific dangers of snuff and chew include gum disease, erosion of teeth and cancer of the mouth and throat. Use Increasing Among Young Males Many cigarette users have switched to smokeless tobacco over the last several years because of the misconception that where there's no smoke, there's no danger. A study by the U.S. Surgeon General's office shows that smokeless tobacco is more popular now than at any time in the last 50 years and that adolescent males are the fastest growing group of users. If you or any of your friends are using smokeless tobacco, you will surely want to quit once you realize that the dangers of using smokeless tobacco are just as great as the dangers of smoking cigarettes. Spitting tobacco juice is just plain gross!

Modified Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire for Smokeless Tobacco Users 1. After a normal sleeping period, do you use smokeless within 30 minutes of waking? a. Yes 1b. No 02. Do you use smokeless tobacco when you are sick or have mouth sores? a. Yes 1b. No 03. How many times do you use per week? a. Less than 2 0b. More than 2 1c. More than 4 24. Do you intentionally swallow your tobacco juices rather than spit? a. Never 0b. Sometimes 1c. Always 25. Do you keep a dip or chew in your mouth almost all the time? a. Yes 1b. No 06. Do you experience strong cravings for a dip or chew when you go for more than two hours without one? a. Yes 1b. No 07. On average, how many minutes do you keep a fresh dip or chew in your mouth? a. 10-19 minutes 1b. 20-30 minutes 2c. More than 30 minutes 38. What is the length of your dipping day (total hours from first dip/chew in a.m. to last dip/chew in p.m.)? a. Less than 14.5 hours b. More than 14.5 hours 0c. More than 15 hours 29. On average, how may dips/chews do you take each day? a. 1 - 9 1b. 10 - 15 2c. >15 3Your score = The highest possible = 16 The closer to zero your score, the less dependent you are on tobacco. The higher the score, the more strongly you are addicted."