It is made by grinding up tobacco leaves and it is available dry or moist. The dry version is typically snorted through the nose, while the moist version is chewed or sucked on. The moist snuff comes in two different versions. The first is the loose snuff and the user will pinch their desired serving and it gets inserted directly into the mouth. Similarly users can use snus, which is pronounced “snoose”, that comes in a small pouch almost like a tea bag. This products is marketed as discreet and cleaner than typical snuff because it doesn’t create as much saliva so the user can simply swallow it rather than spit it out. Most snuff users believe that it is a healthy alternative to smoking tobacco, however, that is not the case.
Even though snuff users are successfully protecting their lungs from smoke damage, they are putting themselves at risk for cancer in their mouth, nose, esophagus, and pancreas as well as other illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, or stroke according to the National Cancer Institute. Plus, snuff users have also been found to have gingivitis, teeth loss, gum disease, bad breath and noticeably yellow teeth. While most people believe that the dangers of smoking cigarettes are due to inhaling the smoke, it actually has to do with the thousands of chemicals that are used in tobacco production. Just a few of the chemicals included in smokeless tobacco products include cyanide, formaldehyde, arsenic, lead and hundreds of others. The nicotine in tobacco is what makes these products so addictive, and when it is mixed with all the other chemicals it gives you the high feeling. This feeling can be described almost like a head rush, but it is really just the body’s reaction to the nicotine being absorbed into your system. Once it is in it activates the adrenal glands and forces you to release epinephrine or adrenaline. This release causes high blood pressure, increased heart rate and rapid breathing. Each time someone uses snuff their body becomes acclimated to that level of tobacco and chemicals and it will need more every time to reach the same feeling as the last time.
As tobacco companies try to grow their business they try to market their products to different populations to maximize their pool of customers. This has led to companies creating tobacco products that don’t smell or taste like tobacco, instead, they have fruity aromas or flavoring to make you forget what’s really in your mouth. Not only do the enticing flavors make smokeless tobacco products more appealing to young adults and teens, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also points out that young, white, teenage boys in rural areas are at the highest risk of becoming addicted because of their early exposure to these products by the men in their life.
The short term high from tobacco products is not worth the long term pain and chronic illnesses. Show your kids what using these products can do to their bodies and minds and give them the tools to say no. More often than not when someone tries tobacco it is because it is offered to them by someone else or it is constantly around them. If getting addicted is a group effort then getting help is going to require just as many people and much more support.
By Jessica Lee
Sources:
Smokeless Tobacco Products, Including Dip, Snuff, Snus, and Chewing Tobacco
Dip, Chew, Snuff, Snus: “Smokeless” Doesn’t Mean “Safe”
What’s the Difference Between Snuff and Snus?
Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products DrugFacts
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