Health Hazards of Smokeless Tobacco
-M.A.Aleem Neurologist Trichy Tamilnadu India
Smokeless tobacco is available in many forms with different names for many years.
The newest forms of smokeless tobacco are finely ground dissolvable tobacco
prepared from hand .picked tobacco leaves and with rich spices, natural aroma of sandalwood oil and a plethora of floral essences and shaped into sticks, pellets, or strips. These forms melt in the users' mouth between lip and gums within 3 to 30 minutes, delivering nicotine. These new pellets or sticks form of smokeless tobacco contain 3 times more nicotine than an average cigarette which are used by all age group including girls.
These Smokeless Tobacco is Addictive. Nicotine in smokeless tobacco is what gives users a buzz. It also makes it very hard to quit.
Every time smokeless tobacco is used, the body gets used to the nicotine and starts to crave it. Craving is one of the signs of addiction. Another sign of addiction is called tolerance. This is when the body adjusts to the amount of tobacco needed to get a buzz. With continued use, more and more tobacco is needed to get the same feeling.
Many smokeless tobacco users say it is harder to quit smokeless tobacco than cigarettes.
Smokeless Tobacco is Not Safe. Smokeless tobacco delivers more nicotine than cigarettes, making addiction more likely. There are also direct effects of smokeless tobacco on the mouth.
Use of this
Smokeless tobacco can give you really bad breath and discolored teeth.
Smokeless tobacco's direct and repeated contact with the gums causes the gums to recede and become diseased, leading to loose teeth. Many forms of smokeless tobacco also contain sugar. This mixes with the plaque on the teeth to form acid that eats away at tooth enamel to cause cavities and chronic painful sores.
Leukoplakia a precancerous condition and
Cancer of the mouth (including the lip, tongue, and cheek) and throat can occur most often at the spot in the mouth where the smokeless tobacco is held.
The constant flow of nicotine into our body causes many side effects including increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and sometimes irregular heartbeats, which may increase the risk for sudden death from a condition (ventricular arrhythmias) in which the heart does not beat properly.
The new forms of smokeless tobacco look like candy or breath strips, making them attractive to all ages, even children. While tobacco from a cigarette tastes bitter and unpleasant, the new forms are minty and flavorful, increasing their potential for poisoning.
Smokeless Tobacco is Popular with Youth, Too
Smokeless tobacco is not used by adults alone . Recent surveys have shown that youth are using smokeless tobacco more frequently, and
in addition to other types of tobacco products.
So it is the need of the hour to check and stop sales of the newer forms of smokeless tobacco even though online.
