Facts about Spit and Chewing Tobacco

Spit tobacco is sold in 3 forms:

• Chew - leafy tobacco sold in packets. Usually kept between gum and cheek for several hours
• Plug - tobacco that has been pressed into a brick
• Snuff - moist tobacco sold in cans
  

So, What's in Spit?

Spit tobacco is made from more than just tobacco. There is nothing natural about it. The tobacco companies add other ingredients including sweeteners, abrasives, salts and chemicals. It contains over 3,000 chemicals including 28 known carcinogens.

Some of the harmful chemicals include:

• Polonium 210 (nuclear waste)
• Formaldehyde (enbalming fluid)
• Cadmium (batteries)
• Benzene
• Nitrosamines (cancer causing agents)
• Nicotine (addictive substance)
• Arsenic (poision)
• Lead
  

What are the risks of using spit?

• Increased risk of heart disease
• Leukoplakia (pre-cancerous cells)
• Yellow teeth
• High blood pressure
• Gum and tooth recession
• Cancer, including lip, tongue, cheek and mouth

Read the Sean Marsee's story.

There is help to cut down or quit using spit.

There are many resources for spit users who want to cut back or even quit.

Call 1-888-NO-HABIT (644-2248) for information or help for youth and adults in Westmoreland County.

The research tells us that the best way to quit is to learn skills to quit in person, in a group, or by phone and to develop a personalized quit plan. All cessation programs are available to spit users as well as smokers.