Chewing Tobacco

The American Cancer Society tells us:

• 1 in 12 Americans is a regular user of chewing tobacco
• the average age of first use is 10 years old (fourth grade)
• 40% of high school boys have tried chewing tobacco
• 21% of kindergartners have tried it

The American Dental Association tells us:

• those who use chewing tobacco just once in a while have 4 times the risk of developing oral cancer than do non-users.
• a person who uses chewing tobacco three or more times a week for over a year has 50 times the risk of developing cancer than do non-users. This risk is even greater than that of smoking cigarettes. Unlike smoking cigarettes where cancer develops slowly over time, chewing tobacco can cause cancer quickly in teens and young adults.
• chewing tobacco contains grit and sand, which wear away at the teeth.
• chewing tobacco contains added sugars to improve the taste but wear away at teeth, leading to cavities and tooth loss.
• chewing tobacco causes gum disease and visual gum damage in less than 2-3 months.
• 50% of teenage users have some type of gum problem.
• chewing tobacco causes gums to pull away from the teeth, which further increases the risk of tooth decay and loss.