Articles
From the April 2006 issue of the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce Progress newsletter.
Chew On This.
By: Ashley Seeklander
Where there is smoke there is fire. So what about spit tobacco? There is no smoke so is there really a danger? Spit tobacco contains 3,000 chemicals and 28 known carcinogens. Some of the same amount of chemicals and carcinogens can be found in cigarettes. Spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. Tobacco is tobacco no matter what way you look at it (or use it). It contains a highly addictive drug known as nicotine. Nicotine has been shown to be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. It is the nicotine that makes quitting difficult.
If a can of spit tobacco costs $4.00, a single can a day habit would cost you $1,460 a year. That is $1,460 you are spitting into a cup. Using spit tobacco increases your chances of cancer of the mouth and throat, cancer of the stomach and pancreas, gum disease and tooth loss, stained teeth and bad breath, just too name a few. Due to the high amount of sugar and coarse materials found in spit tobacco teeth are made more susceptible to cavities and tooth decay. Heart rate and blood pressure have also been found to increase. This leads me to my next question, what is it REALLY costing you each time you use spit tobacco?
There are benefits to quitting such as cutting the risk of mouth and throat cancer in half, reducing the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, and reducing the risk of gum disease and tooth loss. Quitting also saves you money, which is always a positive. Quitting an addiction is never easy. Some people can kick the habit in one try, it may take someone else seven tries, and still others may spend their whole lives trying to quit. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The South Dakota Department of Health offers a free Quit Line to help anyone who wants to kick their tobacco addiction. Call 1-866-SD QUITS (1-866-737-8487). It is not important why or how a person began their addiction to tobacco. What is important is that they make the decision to quit.
