Chewing tobacco and snuff have the potential to be as dangerous to your health as smoking cigarettes. Nicotine is not the only reason that using smokeless tobacco is a serious health concern. About 30 carcinogens have been identified with chewing tobacco and snuff. The carcinogens are absorbed and enter the body through the tissue lining the inside of mouth.
Absorption is enhanced by the act of chewing, which causes slight abrasions in the tissue.
These carcinogens, once absorbed, can have serious consequences to the user's health. At a recent conference of the International Association for Dental Research, a symposium on smokeless tobacco, stated that snuff dipping was a causal factor and specifically associated with cancer of the cheek, gum, and pharynx. More disturbing is that the use of smokeless tobaccos, including snuff, is growing among young people, especially teenage boys. If you use smokeless tobacco in any form, try to quit. The risk of cancer to the mouth and pharynx area is a very real and serious health concern.