Health Risks Related to Smokeless Tobacco

Topic Overview

Smokeless tobacco products include chewing tobacco and snuff. Although these products are less harmful than smoking cigarettes, they are just as addictive as cigarettes and do have serious health risks.

Smokeless tobacco causes the following health risks:1

  • White, leathery patches (leukoplakia) that form on the inside of the cheek or on the gum. These patches can turn into cancer of the mouth (oral cancer), involving the lip, tongue, or cheek.
  • Dental problems, such as abrasion of teeth, gum recessions, and periodontal bone loss.
  • An increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Nicotine from smokeless tobacco can lead to nicotine dependence. This can make quitting smokeless tobacco just as hard as quitting cigarettes.

Related Information

References

Citations

  1. Fiore MC, et al. (2000). Clinical Practice Guideline: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Also available online: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use.pdf.

Credits

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerAdam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerJohn Hughes, MD - Psychiatry
Last RevisedAugust 15, 2012
By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: August 15, 2012
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
John Hughes, MD - Psychiatry

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