Nicotine & Tobacco
Nicotine, found in all tobacco products, is a highly addictive drug which acts in the brain and throughout the body. Dip and chew contain more nicotine than cigarettes.
- Holding an average-size dip in your mouth for 30 minutes gives you as much nicotine as smoking three cigarettes.
- In tobacco are nitrosamines - cancer-causing chemicals from the curing process
Dip & Chew
Here's a brief summary of the harm dipping does in the mouth:
- Spit tobacco use may cause cancer of the mouth
- Sugar in spit tobacco may cause decay in exposed tooth roots
- Dip and chew can cause your gums to pull away from the teeth in the place where the tobacco is held. The gums do not grow back.
- Leathery white patches and red sores are common in dippers and chewers and can turn into cancer
Can spit tobacco use cause problems in other parts of the body:
Research shows that spit tobacco use might also cause problems beyond the mouth. Some studies have show that using spit tobacco may cause pancreatic cancer. And scientists are also looking at the possibility that spit tobacco use might play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease - heart disease and stroke.
Need more reasons to quit? - It's Expensive! A can of dip costs a average of nearly $4 in Missouri. A two-can-a-week habit costs about $400 per year. A can-a-day habit costs nearly $1500 per year. Likewise, chewing tobacco costs about $2. A pouch-a-day habit costs over $700 a year. Think of all the things you could do with that money instead of dipping or chewing.
It's Disgusting - If the health effects don't worry you, think of how other people see your addiction. The smell of spit tobacco in your mouth is not pleasant. While you may have become used to the odor and don't mind it, other around you notice. Tobacco juice stains can ruin your clothes, your furniture, or on your car's upholstery. It can also stain your teeth, and brushing won't make this go away.
Quitting Plan
- Pick a date to quit - even if you think you're ready to quit now, take at least a week to get ready, but don't put off setting a date
- Get psyched - cut back before you quit by tapering down. Some people are able to quit "cold turkey". Others find that cutting back makes quitting easier.
- Cut back to 1/2 of your usual amount before you quit
- Carry substitutes instead - sugar-free chewing gum, hard candies, or sunflower seeds
- Try mint-leaf snuff
- Cut back on where and when you have tobacco. First, notice when your cravings are strongest. What events trigger tobacco use? After meals? When you work out? In your car or truck? On your job? Don't carry tobacco with you. Use a substitute instead. Go as long as you possibly can without giving into a craving - at least 10 minutes. Try to go longer and longer as your approach your quit day. Now, pick three of your strongest triggers and stop tobacco use at those times. This will be hard at first. The day will come when you are used to going without tobacco at the times you want it most.
- Switch to a lower nicotine tobacco product if you're using a medium- or high- nicotine product. This way, you cut down your nicotine dose while you're getting ready to quit. This can help to prevent strong withdrawal when your quit. DON'T switch to another type of nicotine / tobacco product (i.e. - smoking to chew or vice versa).
- Build a support team - Let friends, family & co-workers know you're quitting. Warn them that you may not be your usual self for a week or two after you quit. Ask them to be patient. Ask them to stand by to listen and encourage you when the going gets rough. Suggest ways they can help, like joining you for a run or a walk, helping you find ways to keep busy, and telling you they know you can do it. If they've quit, ask them for tips.
- Quit Day! - make your quit day special right from the beginning. You're doing yourself a huge favor.
- Change daily routines to break away from tobacco triggers. When you eat at breakfast, don't sit in the usual place at the kitchen table. Get right up from the table after meals.
- Make an appointment to get your teeth cleaned. You'll enjoy the fresh, clean feeling and a whiter smile.
- Keep busy and active. Start the day with a walk, run, swim, or workout. Aerobic exercise will help you relax. Plus, it boosts energy, stamina, and all-around fitness and curbs your appetite.
- Chew substitutes - sugar-free hard candy, gum, cinnamon sticks, mints, beef jerky, or sunflower seeds.
- Nicotine replacement therapy and non-nicotine replacement therapy are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for smoking cessation. However, these products have not been approved for spit tobacco cessation. Further research is needed to determine their effectiveness for helping spit tobacco users quit.
Your First Week Off Tobacco
Withdrawal symptoms don't last long. Symptoms are strongest the first week after you quit. The worst part is over after 2 weeks.
- Nicotine speeds up metabolism, so quitting spit tobacco may result in a slight weight gain
- Eat well-balanced meals and avoid fatty foods. To satisfy your cravings for sweets, eat small pieces of fruit. Keep low-calorie foods handy for snacks. Try popcorn (without butter), sugar-free gums and mints, fresh fruit, and vegetables.
- Drink 6-8 glasses of water each day
- Work about 30 minutes of daily exercise into your routine - try walking or another activity such as running, cycling or swimming.
Coping with Withdrawal
- Urges to use tobacco - Wait it out. Deep breathing and exercise help you feel better right away
- If you are feeling irritable, tense, restless, impatient - walk away from the situation. Deep breathing and exercise help to blow off steam. Ask others to be patient.
- Constipation/Irregularity - add fiber to your diet (whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables)
- Hunger and Weight Gain - eat regular meals. Feeling hungry is sometimes mistaken for the desire for tobacco / nicotine
- Desire for Sweets - Reach for low-calorie sweet snacks (like apples, sugar-free gums and candies)
Your Second Week - Dealing with Triggers
You've made it through the hardest part - the first week. If you can stay off one week, then you can stay off two. Just use the same willpower and strategies that got you this far. Cravings may be just as strong this week, but they will come less often and go away sooner.
Be prepared for temptation - Tobacco thoughts and urges will probably still bother you. They will be strongest in the places where you used tobacco the most. The more time you spend in these places without using tobacco, the weaker the urges will become. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Drinking them could bust your plan to quit. Know what events and places will be triggers for you and plan ahead for them. Write down some of your triggers. And write what you'll do instead of using tobacco. If may be as simple as reaching for gum or seeds, walking away, or thinking about how far you've come.
Tips for Going the Distance
Congratulations! You've broken free of a tough addiction. If you can stay off 2 weeks, then you know you can beat this addiction. It will get easier. Keep using whatever worked when you first quit. Don't expect new rituals to take the place of tobacco right away. Keep up your guard. Continue to plan ahead for situations that may tempt you.
What If You Slip?
Try not to slip, not even once. But, if you do slip, get right back on track. Don't let feelings of guilt lead you back to tobacco products. A slip does not mean "failure". Figure out why you slipped and how to avoid it next time. Get rid of any leftover tobacco. Pick up right where you left off before the slip. If slips are frequent, or you are using tobacco on a regular basis, make a new quitting plan. Quitting takes practice. Most users don't quit for good on the first try. Don't give up! Figure out what would have helped. Try a new approach next time. Talk to your physician or dentist for extra help.
Celebrat Your Success!
Congratulations! You've done it. You've beaten the tobacco habit. You're improving your health and your future. Celebrate with people on your "support team". Offer your support to friends and co-workers who are trying to quit. Pledge to yourself never to use tobacco again.