Harmful Effects of Chewing Tobacco: A Comprehensive Study

This study highlights the harmful effects of chewing tobacco on human health and the risks of cancer associated with it. The article explains the difference between smoking and chewing tobacco, the effects of nicotine on the body, and the various health problems that can arise from chewing tobacco. The article also discusses the attempts being made to help people quit their habit of chewing tobacco.

Running head: DRUGS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Drugs and Human Behavior
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Abstract
The most dominant and active substance that is present within any tobacco product is Nicotine.
Consuming any tobacco product will result in the consumption of Nicotine. This easily gets
dissolved in blood and causes several health problems. People might be in the misconception that
chewing tobacco like snuff is much harmless than smoking tobacco. However snuff or any other
kinds of smokeless tobacco are not harmless. They are equally bad for the health. Chewing
tobacco increases chances of mouth infection, permanent bone disorder, bleeding gums, lack of
teeth and also severe types of oral cancer. So, efforts are to be made to make people aware about
the health hazards of chewing tobacco.

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One of the major problems that is existing in the modern day scenario is that of drug
addiction. Different people are addicted to different kinds of things. Some are addicted to
alcohol, some to cocaine and some with tobacco. Some people are highly addicted to the
chewing of tobacco rather than smoking. This tobacco that is used for chewing is also known as
the snuff, spit tobacco, chewing tobacco and others. There is a difference in the usage of this
tobacco. Unlike the Cigarettes, this tobacco is not smoked; it is chewed by placing them between
then cheeks or the gums and the lips. As it gets chewed a juice comes out from the same and it
releases the nicotine. This nicotine gets dissolved in blood and can cause several health
problems. This habit of chewing tobacco develops among the teenagers at their alcohol times.
One of the reasons might be the peer pressure. Many students might feel that it is really a very
cool habit and try doing these same things just s their friends. After one or two days, they start
doing it on a daily basis and this is how they make it a habit (Liu et al., 2015).
Figure1: Chewing or smokeless tobacco

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Figure2: One of the major causes of death is tobacco usage
Tobacco is perhaps the most popular kind of addiction that is seen among the people in
the modern day scenario. The habit is usually developed among the individuals from their
parents or from any kinds of advertisements or television shows. Once the individuals have
started smoking or chewing tobacco they really make it a habit and do not find it easy to leave or
quite the same. They often try quitting this habit but they fail. This tobacco contains a drug or an
addiction causing substance called the nicotine. This is a form of very powerful kind of a drug.
Nicotine is present with the smokeless tobacco as well like any other tobacco product. This
nicotine is a very powerful kind of drug that not only makes people dependent on it physically

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but also takes over their mindset or their mental health as well. So, people really find it tough to
deal with the attempts of quitting this habit.
However some of them people who try quitting this habit of tobacco chewing become
successful but most of them don’t. This is mainly because of the fact that the nicotine is capable
of forming a strong emotional connection with the people. This drug nicotine is as powerful as
any other drugs like the heroin or the cocaine.
Nicotine is very easily dissolved in the blood. Blood is the building block of the human
body and it is through this blood that all the essential elements and nutrients get transported to all
the body parts. Nicotine is easily absorbed by the human lungs and spreads to all body part. The
effects of this Nicotine starts just within few seconds after it is consumed. However this fact
cannot be ignored that the nicotine from the smokeless or the chewing tobacco is absorbed in
human blood slowly than the smoking of tobacco. However the amount of nicotine that gets into
a human body from chewing tobacco is 3 to 4 times more and also long lasting. So, the overall
damage is much more (Kosmider et al., 2014).It can cause many harmful effects to the gums and
the mouth of the person who is in a habit of chewing the tobacco. It can also lead to the
formation of bleeding patches in the mouth and the gums and can also give rise to tumors. This
in turn can become very dangerous and cancerous in nature. Initially, it can cause a huge damage
to the teeth and the dental organs of the people who chew tobacco. It can make the roots of the
teeth very weak and the teeth might often fall out. This will make it very tough for the people to
eat or chew.
There are about 28 different kinds of cancer that can be caused due to chewing of
tobacco. In medical terms these are known as the carcinogens. The main element of the snuff

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or chewing tobacco that can cause cancer is the TSNAs or the tobacco-specific
nitrosamines. There are also other added cancer causing elements on the chewing tobacco
like the nickel; arsenic, cadmium and many more. These harmful chemicals can affect
many different body parts like the skin, heart, lungs, bines, teeth and other such problems.
Hence, people who believe that snuff is safer than smoking cigarettes are actually wrong.
Figure3: Effects of tobacco chewing
This chewing of tobacco is very harmful as it contains harmful chemicals. It can cause
oral cancer. Chewing of tobacco increases the chances of oral cancer by 50%. This is indeed
a very rate in comparison to those people who do not chew tobacco. The cancer cells will
mainly develop and attack the parts in the lips, the gums, cheeks and other such organs
located in the mouth.
It can also be the cause behind leukoplakia. This develops due to the constant chewing
of the tobacco. The tobacco releases the nicotine that is constant in contact with the gums, lips,

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cheeks and other such organs. It is a condition that has precancerous growths on the tongue or
the skin. It can also cause a damage of the bones and cause gum recession permanently. People
might be misguided that chewing tobacco will cause them less harm. However this notion in
itself is very wrong as chewing tobacco or snuff is equally harmful. It can lead to many other
kinds of problems in the body like the heart disease, high blood pressure, increased heart beat
and other such problems. These may interfere with the normal functioning of the body.
There can be a doubt about the fact that if using the chewing tobacco will make the users
safer than smoking of tobacco. However it is a mistake to think that chewing tobacco is safe. It is
a common fact that all the products of tobacco will contain nicotine and the consumption of
nicotine will naturally carry the risks of cancer (Mishra et al., 2015). It is safer only for the
passive smokers or the secondary smokers. The passive smokers will not be exposed to the
harmful smoke that is released while smoking. However the risk of developing cancer from
chewing tobacco is less than that of smoking of tobacco but it is not totally zero. Rather there is
the chance of getting the oral cancer and other heath problems as well that can prove to be eve
fatal. So, it is not really helpful in any way.
However there are many attempts that are being made to help people quit their habit of
chewing tobacco. Teachers and parents are asked to make the children aware about the hazards
of chewing tobacco along with that of smoking tobacco. Particularly it must be taught to the
teenagers.
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 has been launched so
that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gains a control over the production and selling
of the tobacco products in US. This will help in keeping the usage of chewing tobacco, snuff or

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any other tobacco products in check. The other products that can be used for help are the
Nicotine gums, lozenges, nicotine patches and others.
Figure4: Ways of reducing Nicotine (chewing tobacco) Usage
So, it can be concluded that chewing of tobacco is in no way less harmful than smoking
of tobacco. Even if the chance of lung cancer is less, the chances of oral cancer and many other
health hazards are always associated with it. The chewing tobacco stays within the mouth and the
gums for a long time and releases the harmful nicotine. This fact is true that the chances of caner
are less and the absorption rate is also slow. However, the Nicotine gets into the blood and stays
for a very long time. So, the damaging effect is also very powerful. Hence the Government must
take up responsibility to conduct campaigns in the schools and localities that will make people
aware about the harms of tobacco chewing.

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References
Kosmider, L., Sobczak, A., Fik, M., Knysak, J., Zaciera, M., Kurek, J., & Goniewicz, M. L.
(2014). Carbonyl compounds in electronic cigarette vapors: effects of nicotine solvent
and battery output voltage. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 16(10), 1319-1326.
Liu, B., Shen, M., Xiong, J., Yuan, Y., Wu, X., Gao, X., ... & Jian, X. (2015). Synergistic effects
of betel quid chewing, tobacco use (in the form of cigarette smoking), and alcohol
consumption on the risk of malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF): a
case-control study in Hunan Province, China. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral
pathology and oral radiology, 120(3), 337-345.
Mishra, A., Chaturvedi, P., Datta, S., Sinukumar, S., Joshi, P., & Garg, A. (2015). Harmful
effects of nicotine. Indian journal of medical and paediatric oncology: official journal of
Indian Society of Medical & Paediatric Oncology, 36(1), 24.