Spit Tobacco Rates A Concern; Especially High In Rural Areas, USA

While smoking rates are going down in
Washington, the same can't be said for spit tobacco. The use of spit tobacco,
commonly known as chew, dip or snuff, has hovered at about five percent for
tenth graders and about three percent for adults since 2000. However, current
usage rates for young men living outside of urban areas are dramatically
higher. The Great American Spit Out on February 16 provides an opportunity to
spotlight the persistence of spit tobacco use, educate the public about its
dangers and encourage users to quit.


"Many young people and adults think using spit tobacco is a safe
alternative to smoking, but that's not true," said Secretary of Health Mary
Selecky. "Spit tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents and can significantly
increase the risk of mouth cancer, which is extremely painful and difficult to
treat."


Most spit tobacco users are men. Statewide about seven percent of adult
men use spit tobacco compared to less than one percent of adult women. Rates
are significantly higher -- about 16 percent -- for younger men between the
ages of 18-29 living in suburban and rural areas. Young adults are often the
target of tobacco company promotions where free samples of spit tobacco
products are distributed. In 2004 spit tobacco companies distributed 18,473
samples at 174 events across Washington.


To mark the Great American Spit Out, the state Department of Health's
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program is teaming up with the Washington State
Dental Hygienists' Association, the Washington Oral Health Foundation and
local health contractors to educate the public about the health risks of
chewing tobacco. They will also be directing spit tobacco users to the state's
Tobacco Quit Line for help quitting. Public service announcements are running
on radio stations statewide leading up to the Spit Out.


Health officials are concerned that spit tobacco use could increase as a
result of the expanded Clean Indoor Air Act, which prohibits smoking in all
indoor public spaces. For example, some tobacco shops in New York have seen an
increase in sales of spit tobacco since the state enacted a comprehensive
clean indoor air law. In some cases spit tobacco products are being marketed
as the "solution" for times when people can't smoke in public places.


"Spit tobacco can cause gums to pull away from teeth, and can cause ugly
sores in the mouth, which can turn into cancer of the lip, tongue, cheeks,
gums, and roof and floor of the mouth," said Robin Houg, president of the
dental hygienists association and a practicing dental hygienist in Bothell.
"I've seen the results of spit tobacco from very close range, and it's not
pretty."


Treatment for mouth cancer often involves painful and disfiguring surgery,
such as removal of the tongue or jaw bone. On average, just over half of those
diagnosed with mouth cancer survive more than five years.


People in Washington who want help quitting spit tobacco (or smoking) can
call the toll-free Washington State Tobacco Quit Line
(quitline) at 1-877-270-STOP (in Spanish, 1-877-2NO-FUME).


The
quit line offers free help from tobacco cessation specialists, referrals to
local cessation programs and quit kits.


The Great American Spit Out is part of Through with Chew Week (Feb. 12-
18), which started in 1989 to provide the public with information about spit
tobacco and decrease its use. The campaign was inspired by a high school
student from Oklahoma who chose to use spit tobacco over smoking because he
thought it was safer. He developed oral cancer and had to have part of his
tongue and his jaw bone removed. He died at the age of 19.


Visit the Washington Department of Health Web site at
doh.wa for a healthy dose of information.


Washington State Department of Health

doh.wa

quitline