Health risks of smokeless tobacco

Smokeless tobacco products might expose people to lower levels of harmful chemicals than tobacco smoke, but that doesn't mean these products are a safe alternative to smoking.

Smokeless tobacco contains nicotine, which can lead to addiction, and dozens of chemicals that can cause cancer.

Health problems related to smokeless tobacco include the following:

• Addiction. Nicotine is the chemical that makes tobacco addictive. Research suggests that people who use smokeless tobacco get as much or more nicotine into their bodies as people who smoke cigarettes. Just as with smoking, withdrawal from smokeless tobacco can cause intense cravings, irritability and depressed mood.
• Cancer. The use of chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobacco products increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and pancreas. Smokeless tobacco also increases the risk of developing small white patches in your mouth called leukoplakia (loo-koh-PLAY-key-uh). These patches are precancerous — meaning that they have the potential to turn into cancer.
• Heart disease. Some forms of smokeless tobacco increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Long-term use of smokeless tobacco increases your risk of dying of heart disease and stroke.
• Dental disease. The sugar and irritants in smokeless tobacco products can cause cavities, abrasion of teeth, teeth staining, bad breath, gum disease, receding gums, bone loss around roots and tooth loss.
• Pregnancy risk. Using smokeless tobacco during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth, low birth weight and heart rate variability in infants.
• Poisoning risk. The candy-like appearance and flavors of some smokeless tobacco products make them attractive to children. Eating these products can cause nicotine poisoning. Nicotine poisoning in children may cause nausea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions, unresponsiveness, trouble breathing and even death.