DON'T BE MYTH-STIFIED about SMOKELESS TOBACCO

You don’t smoke it, you don’t swallow it. You put it between your cheek and gum and spit out the brown juice every few minutes. Ok that is pretty disgusting. But so what? After all, it’s called smokeless tobacco you don’t smoke it so it can’t be as bad as inhaling tobacco smoke into your lungs, right?

CHECK THESE 5 MYTHS ABOUT SMOKELESS TOBACCO BEFORE YOU DIP.

Myth One
"Smokeless Tobacco is Safer than Cigarettes."
Unfortunately, smokeless does not mean harmless. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), smokeless tobacco is a significant health risk and not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive. Users of smokeless tobacco are 50 times more likely to die from throat or mouth cancer than people who don’t dip or chew.

Myth Two
"I Don’t Use the Strong Stuff so I won’t Get Addicted."
The weakest smokeless tobacco products contain nearly as much nicotine as the average cigarette. Ninety percent of users move to the next strongest product.

Myth Three
"I won’t get Cancer Because I don’t Inhale."
Smokeless tobacco contains chemicals to release more of the nicotine into the moist cells that line your mouth tongue and gums. Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer causing agents. Even if you don’t die from oral cancer you may lose all or part of your lips, gums, tongue and jaw.

Myth Four
"Chewing Tobacco is a Symbol of Independence and Toughness."
Dipping or chewing is often the result of giving into pressures around you and that is not independence. When you are addicted to nicotine you are always wondering when you will be able to get it, how you will be able to get it and when you can get it next. It rules your life—not what most people consider independence. You can show your independence by not chewing when others do.

Myth Five
"I’m Young I won’t Have Any Symptoms for Years."
Smokeless tobacco residue stays in your mouth causing bad breath. Tobacco stains teeth yellow. If you chew you are more likely to lose teeth and have cavities. Smokeless tobacco increases blood pressure and heart rate. Within two years smokeless tobacco users develop leukoplakia a white patch in your mouth that can’t be scraped off and may indicate cancer.

Pennsylvania is the only state in the U.S. that does not tax non-cigarette tobacco products, e.g., smokeless, spit/chew, snuff and cigars. According to Campaign for tobacco-Free Kids, increasing taxes on smokeless and other non-cigarette products will secure additional new state revenue and decrease smoking -- especially children. These taxes could generate additional annual revenue of $100 million in Pennsylvania. www.tobaccofreekids.org/winwinwin

Taxing all tobacco products is not only sound public health policy but a smart and predictable way to help boost the economy and generate long-term health savings for Pennsylvania.