Who Uses Spit Tobacco?

• The Marines have the highest smokeless rate of any branch of the military with 33% of active duty Marines using smokeless tobacco.

Why Spit Tobacco Use Is Increasing• Increased smoking restriction in

schools and public places, including worksite

• Positive macho image of spit tobacco use in advertising campaigns

• Introduction of milder and sweeter brands

• The suggestion that spit tobacco improves overall athletic performance

A Lot Of Marines Get Hooked Before They Know The Facts About Dip And Chew. They Don't Know That Spit Tobacco:

• Is highly addictive • Contains nicotine • Doesn't help performance • Is not a safe alternative to

cigarettes

Worried You Might Be Addicted To Spit Tobacco? Take This Quiz.

• 1. Have you stopped getting sick or dizzy when you dip or chew like you did when you first started?

2. Do you dip more often than when you started and in different settings?

3. Have you switched to stronger products with more nicotine?

4. Do you swallow juice from your tobacco on a regular basis?

• 5. Do you sometimes sleep with dip or chew in your mouth?

6. Do you take your first dip or chew of the day first thing in the morning?

7. Is it hard for you to go more than a few hours without using?

8. Do you get strong cravings when you go without a dip or a chew?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could be addicted to spit

tobacco.

Smokeless Tobacco

One can of smokeless tobacco has the same nicotine as over 5 packs of cigarettes (Skoal, Copenhagen & Kodiak have the highest rates of freebase nicotine on the market).The cancer causing chemicals in tobacco are 100x stronger than in cigarettes.There are 100x the level of nitrosamines in dip, than is allowed by law in food.One can of smokeless tobacco contains a lethal dose of tobacco if a child or animal eats it.

Smokeless Tobacco

Over 50% of smokeless tobacco users develop pre-cancerous sores within 3 1/2 years of use.300,000 new cases of oral cancer in the US every year.Half of all oral cancer is fatal within 5 years.Smokeless tobacco users are 5 times more likely to loose all their teeth, have receding gums and tooth decay due too tooth abrasion from sand and grit in the tobacco as well as the addition of sugar to the dip.

Health Consequences Of

Dip Use • Increased heart rate• Heart disease• Stroke• High blood pressure• Delayed wound healing• Peptic ulcer disease• Low birth weight

babies and other reproductive disorders

• Addiction & dependence

Check You Mouth Often. Look Closely At Places Where You Hold The Tobacco.

See your doctor or dentist right away if you have:

A sore that bleeds easily and doesn't heal.A lump or thickening anywhere in your mouth or neck.Soreness or swelling that doesn't go away.White lump or patch in the mouth.Prolonged sore throat.Difficulty chewing.Difficulty swallowing, feeling that something is stuck in the throat.Difficulty moving the tongue or jaw.

Oral Health Effects Of Spit Tobacco

Usage• Stained teeth

• Rough patches in the mouth

(leukoplakia)

• Bad breath (halitosis)

• Receding gum line

• Oral cancer

• Tooth loss

• Gum disease

Chemicals In Spit Tobacco

Do You Really Want To Put These In Your Mouth?Salt peter (causes

impotency)Cadmium (car batteries)Polonium 210 (nuclear waste)Lead (banned from paint products)Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)Arsenic (rat poison)Cyanide (used in the gas chamber)

Nitrosamines (potent cancer-causing agents)NickelNicotinePesticides Flavoring agentsAcetaldehydeBenzopyrene (cancer-causing)HydrazineUranium 235 and 238Over 30 metals

Tobacco Cessation Classes At NHTP• Classes are offered 4

Tuesdays in a row.• Classes are offered at

1200 & 1730 in NHTP.• Both patches & Zyban

are offered to aid in cessation.

• Classes are free to all and you can return as often as you need.