You don’t smoke it. You don’t swallow it. All you do is swirl it in your mouth and spit. Okay, so it’s mildly gross, but isn’t everybody entitled to at least one bad habit? After all, it’s chewing tobacco for Pete’s sake. It can’t be as bad as smoking cigarettes, right? Well, if I were you, I’d pick another vice. Because smokeless tobacco (aka chew or dip) is pretty serious stuff. Just ask Babe Ruth.
He may be the most famous baseball player of all time, but did you know that he died at the age of 53 of throat cancer? And it just so happens that the top two causes of this disease are alcohol and tobacco, both of which Babe Ruth more than indulged. Should have stuck to Big League Chew, Babe.
But, of course, baseball players aren’t the only ones who choose to chew. The CDC reports that 20% of high school boys and 2% of high school girls use smokeless tobacco. The CDC also reports that 30,000 Americans learn they have mouth and throat cancers each year, and nearly 8,000 die. But that’s just worst case scenario. If you’re lucky, you may just have bleeding lips and gums. Or lose a few teeth.
And with modern medicine, you may beat cancer. Have a minor heart attack. Or none of these things may happen to you at all. You may just have chronic bad breath and yellow stains on your teeth.
According to research, 70% of spit tobacco users have mouth sores. Not exactly good for your social life. In all seriousness, nobody’s perfect. We’re all entitled to one bad habit. But before you indulge in this bad habit, you should know that one can of snuff gives you as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. And that there are 28 cancer-causing substances found in smokeless tobacco. And last but not least: smokeless tobacco is harder to quit than cigarettes. Like I said, everyone is entitled to one vice. After all, we all work hard. Can’t we just indulge in something? Sure! Why not? Life is short. Just don’t make it shorter with this vice. Try something different like chocolate (or steak for men??).
Caffeine.
Or maybe an expensive pair of shoes.
Personally, we vote for all three of these. These vices may add a few pounds, jack up your heart rate, and empty your wallet but these side effects beat out cancer by a long shot. To each his own!
Mike Malone is an accredited cosmetic dentist practicing in Lafayette Louisiana and is the former president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
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