Health Risks Related to Smokeless Tobacco

Health Risks Related to Smokeless Tobacco

Topic Overview

Smokeless tobacco products include chewing tobacco and snuff. These products are less harmful than smoking cigarettes. But they are just as addictive as cigarettes and do have serious health risks.

Smokeless tobacco causes the following health risks:footnote 1

  • White, leathery patches (leukoplakia) that form on the inside of the cheek or on the gum. These patches can turn into cancer of the mouth (oral cancer), involving the lip, tongue, or cheek.
  • Dental problems, such as abrasion of teeth, gum recessions, and periodontal bone loss.
  • An increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Nicotine from smokeless tobacco can lead to nicotine dependence. This can make quitting smokeless tobacco just as hard as quitting cigarettes.

References

Citations

  1. Fiore MC, et al. (2008). Clinical Practice Guideline: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Also available online: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use08.pdf.

Credits

Current as of:
October 28, 2021

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Brian D. O'Brien MD - Internal Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
John Hughes MD - Psychiatry
Michael F. Bierer MD - Internal Medicine, Addiction Medicine