People place a pinch of snuff between their cheek and gum or between their lower lip and gum. Chewing tobacco and snuff are called smokeless tobacco. Advertising and promotion by the tobacco companies implies that using smokeless tobacco is both safe and socially acceptable. That's not true. There are serious health risksfor all smokeless tobacco users such as damage to the delicate lining of the mouth and throat, which may result in cancer.
Users also increase their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Chewing tobacco and snuff make the heart work harder by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. For those who smoke cigarettes and use smokeless tobacco, the risks are highest for developing cancer of the mouth and throat. Smokeless tobacco also causes bad breath, decrease in taste and smell and increase in saliva flow. Users have to spit often, causing unpleasant situations for those around them. Today, while only about 5 percent of adults use smokeless tobacco, about 20 percent of high school males and 1 percent of high school females use it.