'Chew' can be harder to quit than smoking

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Not all tobacco is smoked and "chew" or the new dissolvable tobacco can actually be harder to quit than cigarettes, said Tim Zeleski, project coordinator for Tobacco Free Hall County.

"Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking and is even more habit forming because it contains a higher concentration of nicotine than cigarettes," Zeleski said. This week - Sunday through Saturday - is national Through With Chew Week.

"There is no good part of tobacco usage. It is all harmful," he said. "Smokeless tobacco can cause oral cancer, especially in the cheeks, gums and throat."

The state's rural and western heritage makes more Nebraskans try "chew" and other smokeless tobacco at an early age, Zeleski said.

"Smokeless tobacco use is more common in Nebraska than the nation as a whole," he said. "Young adults who try smokeless tobacco for the first time are often drawn by the flavors: mint, vanilla or apple, and milder tastes."

He said another trend on the rise locally and nationally is the use of chew by high school wrestlers because they believe it can help them quickly lose weight before a tournament weight check-in due to excessive spitting.

"Losing a pound or two of water weight is much easier than losing a pound of actual fat weight," Zeleski said. He said they have spoken with local athletes who have tried this and they noted how difficult it was to quit using smokeless tobacco, even after using it for just a short while.

"Tobacco companies know that, if they can get a kid even psychologically addicted before they are 18, there is over an 80 percent chance that they are going to be a career tobacco user," he said. "That is why tobacco companies have our kids in their crosshairs because they have to replace 450,000 people every year who die from using tobacco products."

According to the 2010 Nebraska Youth Risk Behavior Survey of ninth- through 12th-graders, 10 percent of Nebraska high school males used smokeless tobacco within the past 30 days. Nebraska's combined total of male and female smokeless tobacco users is 6 percent.

Zeleski said more and more girls and women are becoming smokeless tobacco users as products become available to make it more discreet.

The newest way to use tobacco is dissolvable tobacco products, sometimes called "candy tobacco." It is a smokeless tobacco that can be placed between the lip and gum, like chew, but is completely dissolvable in 10 to 15 minutes, and there is no need to spit.

The dissolvable tobacco comes is a variety of forms, including an "orb," which looks a little like a Tic Tac mint; a flat sheet resembling breath strips; and even sticks that can be chewed on a like a toothpick.

Zeleski said because the tobacco product can be hidden in a cheek or other place, friends and even co-workers may not know you are using it.

"(Tobacco companies) try to make it look socially acceptable and pleasant," he said, adding that all smokeless tobacco can lead to oral problems, such as mouth sores, gum recessions, tooth decay, bad breath and permanently discolored teeth.

One very dangerous problem with the dissolvable tobacco products is that children who get hold of them can mistake them for candy, and Zeleski said there are cases in which children have died after overdosing on nicotine.

"Nicotine itself in its natural state is a nerve poison," he said. "That is why it is used in insecticide."

Although the tobacco companies state that each orb contains about the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette, Zeleski said the amount of nicotine is inconsistent. Even a "pinch" of chewing tobacco is different for each person or even each time.

Just like an alcoholic, he said, the tobacco user creates a "base line" of nicotine that they need to keep from going through withdrawal symptoms.

"Maybe during a time of stress you give yourself a bigger pinch, and pretty soon that bigger pinch is the norm. That's how much you have to use all the time," Zeleski said.

Zeleski said people also can call the local Tobacco Free Hall County for tips on ways to quit. He suggests first educating yourself on why you want to quit so it is easier to keep with it and then going to your physician to find out more about nicotine-replacement products.