Tobacco has been around a long time, used by natives of America long before the arrival of Europeans, and then introduced to the European world in 1492 with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in South America. Since then, many forms of it have been used by people, including dip, chew, cigarettes, pipes and cigars. As the world was made aware of the long-term negative health consequences of smoking through studies and media, alternatives for cigarettes were developed and made available, such as e-cigarettes, which use e-juice like that sold at www.smokingthings.com. However, popular equivalents for chewing tobacco, a smokeless form of tobacco, have not been developed. Chewing tobacco carries its own associated health risks that should be kept in mind. Here are four of them.
1. Causes Cancer
Chewing tobacco, and other forms of smokeless tobacco, have been found to contain chemicals known to cause cancer, including nitrosamines, which are known to cause cancer in animals and may cause it in humans. Metals, hydrocarbons and even radioactive materials capable of causing cancer are examples of more harmful chemicals in smokeless tobacco. Many other harmful chemicals and substances are present in chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobacco forms. Smokeless tobacco is associated with mouth, pancreas and esophagus cancer.
2. Causes Addiction
Smokeless tobacco like chewing tobacco is highly addictive due to the presence of an addictive substance. Due to its addictive nature, it may also lead users down the road to smoking cigarettes, which are just as harmful as smokeless tobacco, maybe even more so.
3. Causes Other Diseases
Cancer is a major life-threatening illness that can be caused by chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobacco. However, it is not the only one. Chewing tobacco also causes mouth problems, including precancerous lesions called leukoplakia that have the potential to become cancer, dental and gum disease, cavities, stained teeth and degradation of bone and gum. Chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco have also been linked to heart disease and stroke; they have been proven to raise your heart rate and your blood pressure.
4. Causes Pregnancy Difficulties
Pregnant women who use chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco experience an increased risk of pregnancy difficulties. Such difficulties include stillbirths and miscarriage. There is also an increased risk of babies carried by those using chewing tobacco having low birth weight.
Smokeless tobacco products like chewing tobacco are not harmless by any means. They get less exposure than cigarettes but bear similar risks. So consider the associated health risks before you buy that chewing tobacco.
