Chewing tobacco is not a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes as it contains many carcinogens that increase the risk of cancer in various parts of the body, particularly oral cancer. It can also lead to nicotine addiction and has a high mortality rate for pancreatic cancer.
Many people think that chewing tobacco is much safer than cigarettes and that they can still get their nicotine this way without risking cancer. This is not true and there are many ways that chewing increases the risk of cancer in various parts of the body. It is true that unlike cigarettes, tobacco consumed in this way is unlikely to cause lung cancer, as it is not inhaled, but the other forms of cancer it can cause can be just as deadly.
Tobacco contains a variety of chemicals known to cause cancer – as many as 28 carcinogens. Some of these carcinogens are called tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and others include some products that most people wouldn’t gladly digest in other forms, such as arsenic and formaldehyde. These are poison to the body and will have adverse effects over time, including the potential to create cancer.
Of particular risk to those who use chewing tobacco is oral cancer, as the chemicals remain in the mouth for long periods of time. They can have a greater overall effect on the mouth than smoking and can lead to the formation of precancerous white patches called leukoplakia. Those who chew tobacco are at great risk for all types of oral cancer, but especially the types involving the tongue, lips and gums.
Oral cancer, especially if not diagnosed early, can be devastating. It may require removal of some tissue in the mouth, throat, sinuses, or lips, and may require ongoing treatment with things like chemotherapy or radiation. Five years after people are diagnosed with oral cancer, 44% of them will be dead. At ten years, the figure is even more drastic, and 59% of people with oral cancer will not have survived this far.
Although lung cancer is considered one of the most deadly cancers, another type that is difficult to treat and has a high mortality rate is pancreatic cancer. It is known that chewing tobacco increases the risk of pancreatic cancer and that is reason enough not to use it. Within a year of being diagnosed with this condition, pancreatic cancer causes the death of 80% of those affected. When treatment is possible, people can survive about 20 months, but even with treatment and very early diagnosis, 75-90% of people with the condition will die within five years.
Some studies also indicate that this form of tobacco increases the risk of other types of cancer in the digestive tract, including some forms of stomach and bowel cancer. Although marketed as an alternative to smoking, there are some studies suggesting that nicotine levels in tobacco are even higher than in cigarettes, and as use is more common among older teenagers, this can quickly lead to nicotine addiction. . Before taking the first capful or chew, people should be aware that the product causes cancer and that they risk their health and life when using it.
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