1. Better than cigarettes?

2.  Snuff- Finely ground tobacco that is either sniffed through the nose or placed between the lip and gum.  Chew- Shredded tobacco that is used by placing a wad inside the cheek.

3.  As many as 20% of High School boys and 2% of High school girls use smokeless tobacco.  Of the 12 to 13 million users, one third are under the age of 21 and more than half of those develop the habit before age 13.  *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

4.  Once chewing tobacco sits in the lip or cheek the addictive chemicals are absorbed into the blood stream. Some types of chew have microscopic pieces of fiberglass to speed the process.

5.  Chewing tobacco contains over 3,000 chemicals and 28 known carcinogens.  Chemicals include: Polonium 210 (nuclear waste) Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines or TSNAs (cancer-causing agents only found in tobacco) Formaldehyde (embalming fluid) Nicotine Cadmium (used in car batteries) Cyanide Arsenic Benzene Lead

6.  A person who has 8-10 chews a day takes in the same amount of nicotine as a person who smokes 30-40 cigarettes.  Because smokeless tobacco is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream it may be more addictive than cigarettes!  White leathery patches called Leukoplaykia often form in the mouth. These are pre - cancerous lesions.

7. Mouth cancer — in cheeks, gums, lips and tongue. Smokeless (spit) tobacco users have a 50 per cent higher chance of getting gum and cheek cancer than non-users. Throat and stomach cancer — cancer of the voice box and cancer of the esophagus. Heart disease — heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure. Dental diseases — stained teeth, tooth decay, receding gums, gum diseases, bad breath and black hairy tongue. Stomach problems — ulcers, stomach upset and increased bowel activity. Loss of taste and smell — which causes loss of appetite, and in turn results in poor nutrition and poor health. Physical changes — fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and decreased physical performance. Also, they spread germs by spitting, risking infection of others.

11.  Listen to Sean Marsee’s story of chewing tobacco and decide if dipping is worth it!