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The mysterious world of smokeless tobacco: What exactly is it?
As global health awareness increases, the use of smokeless tobacco is gaining increasing attention. According to experts, smokeless tobacco is a tobacco product that is used without the help of smoke. Users usually choose to chew, inhale or place the product between the cheek or lips. These products come in various forms, such as nuts, snuff, tobacco candy, and other soluble tobacco products. While smokeless tobacco appears to be less harmful to health than traditional tobacco, the product still tempts hundreds of thousands of people, especially in South Asia, which accounts for 80% of global use.
Smokeless tobacco products contain more than 3,000 substances, 28 of which are known to cause cancer.
The main ingredient in smokeless tobacco is nicotine, which is highly addictive and the difficulty of quitting its use is similar to that of quitting smoking. Continued use of smokeless tobacco may lead to a variety of health problems, including dental disease and cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas. Smokeless tobacco may even cause cardiovascular disease and reproductive problems such as stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight. It is particularly important to note that while some forms of smokeless tobacco (such as Swedish snus) pose relatively low health risks, this does not mean that these products are safe alternatives.
Different types of smokeless tobacco
Smokeless tobacco is used in a variety of ways, including:
- Chewing tobacco: Tobacco products that are meant to be chewed directly.
- Snuff: Tobacco that is sniffed into the nasal cavity.
- Soaked tobacco: Tobacco usually placed between the upper or lower lip and the gums.
- Nut tobacco: A tobacco product mixed with spices, common in South Asia.
- Dissolving tobacco: A ready-to-eat tobacco product that dissolves completely in the mouth.
- Ointments or creams: Tobacco products that are applied to the skin.
Even though the health risks are lower, smokeless tobacco is still not a healthy choice.
Health Effects
According to health organizations such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. National Cancer Institute, even though smokeless tobacco is less harmful than smoking, its use is still addictive and its health risks cannot be underestimated. All this shows that the use of smokeless tobacco not only affects the user themselves, but may also have an impact on those around them.
Smoking smokeless tobacco can lead to diseases such as oral cancer, esophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer.
In addition, smokeless tobacco may also lead to an increased risk of dental disease and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that people who use such products, especially young people, often turn to smoking, forming a vicious cycle. According to the report, 650,000 deaths worldwide each year are directly related to the use of smokeless tobacco.
Public policy and management recommendations
Currently, the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use remains high in many countries. In some regions, the product is considered a cultural heritage and there is little enthusiasm for banning or restricting its use. According to the WHO Framework Convention, only 57 countries in the world have regulated the use of smokeless tobacco. Public health policies targeting smokeless tobacco still need to be strengthened to reduce its impact on health.
ConclusionThe negative health effects of smokeless tobacco use should receive greater regulation and attention.
Although smokeless tobacco use may seem harmless, its effects cannot be ignored. In daily life, the health risks brought by smokeless tobacco seriously affect human health. Faced with the ever-expanding smokeless tobacco market, how should we understand our own choices and burdens?
