Article: Like other tobacco products, smokeless tobacco contains nicotine, a dangerous and addictive substance. Most people who chew become addicted to it. Just as with smoking, withdrawal from smokeless tobacco can cause symptoms like intense cravings, increased appetite, irritability, and depression. While chew was very popular among many major league baseball players in the past, the league currently prohibits the use of chew by players and strongly discourages clubhouse attendants from purchasing chew for players. Probably the most well known professional baseball player to advocate against chewing tobacco is outfielder Bill Tuttle. After thirty-years playing and chewing in the professional league, Tuttle had a tumor so big it came through his cheek and extended through his skin. Doctors removed the tumor, likely the result of his decade long chew habit, and also had to remove much of Tuttle's face. Chew cost Tuttle his jawbone, right cheekbone, the majority of his teeth and gum-line, as well as his taste buds. Tuttle eventually died from cancer in 1998, but spent his last years trying to steer people away from doing chew. Chewing tobacco greatly increases your chances of cancer, including esophageal cancer, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, cheek, gums, lips and tongue, and pancreatic cancer. An accumulation of chew over an extended period of time will also likely lead to tooth decay. Chew contains high amounts of sugar, which contributes to cavities, and also contains coarse particles that irritate your gums and scratch away at the enamel on your teeth, making your teeth weaker and more susceptible to cavities and infection. The sugar and irritants in chewing tobacco also cause your gums to pull away from your teeth, especially in the area of your mouth where you chew. This can lead to gum disease, which can be severe enough to destroy the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth and lead to tooth loss. Chewing tobacco also increases your risk of developing precancerous lesions in your mouth, called leukoplakia, that could one day become cancer. Each year about 30,000 Americans learn they have mouth and throat cancers, and nearly 8,000 die from these diseases. Only about half of the people diagnosed with mouth or throat cancer survive more than 5 years. Some forms of smokeless tobacco, like chew, increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Studies suggest that long-term use of smokeless tobacco can increase your risk of dying from certain types of heart disease and stroke. Some smokers switch to chew in the hopes it will lessen their tobacco addiction, but this rarely works and can in fact lead to a greater addiction to tobacco. If you are trying to quit using chew, talk to your doctor about preventative methods like using nicotine gum, the patch or other medications. Smoking cessation programs are offered by hospitals, health departments, community centers, employers/work sites and national organizations. Using substitutes like gum, beef jerky, hard candy, or dried fruits instead of chew can also help to lessen your tobacco addiction by curbing the oral fixation. Teens who use chew are more likely to become smokers later in life.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Chewing tobacco has the same serious health risks as cigarettes. Recognize you are at a higher risk for mouth cancer, disease, and infection. Get help if you are trying to quit doing chew or want to avoid trying chew.