How can chewing tobacco harm you

Tobacco stains teeth and causes bad breath. It can also irritate or destroy gum tissue. Many regular smokeless tobacco users have receding or swollen gums, tooth decay and cavities from the high sugar content in the tobacco , scratching and wearing down abrasion of teeth, and bone loss around the teeth. The surface of the tooth root may be exposed where gums have shrunken.

All of these can cause teeth to loosen and fall out. Smokeless tobacco can lead to nicotine poisoning and even death in children who mistake it for candy. All smokeless tobacco contains nicotine, which can lead to addiction. In teens, using nicotine can also harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. It may also increase the risk for future addiction to other drugs.

Dissolvable tobacco is of special concern because at this time little is known about the health effects of these products. Because they are so tempting, they can easily poison children and pets. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Quit smoking. Products and services. Smokeless tobacco products Chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco are more harmful and addictive than you might think. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.

Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Smokeless tobacco fact sheets. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Jan. Health risks of smokeless tobacco.

American Cancer Society. Seidenberg AB, et al. Kleigman RM, et al. Substance abuse. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Elsevier; California Environmental Protection Agency. For Further Information. Fact Sheets. What's this. Related CDC Sites. Social Media. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.

Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. July Federal Trade Commission. Smokeless Tobacco Report for ; Issued March National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey, National Youth Tobacco Survey, This November your donation goes even further to improve lung health and defeat lung cancer.

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