Smokeless Tobacco: “Can there be fire when there is no Smoke” Part 3

Types of smokeless tobacco

Dipping tobacco (also known as American moist snuff or spit tobacco) is a form of smokeless tobacco. Unlike chewing tobacco, Dip is 'pinched' out of the tin, and placed between the lower or upper lip and gums. The dip then stimulates saliva secretion and the nicotine in the tobacco is transferred by the saliva to the body. The effects of nicotine take about 20-30 minutes to take effect.

The dip always causing an excess of salivation. The saliva is best spit out because swallowing can cause a lot of irritation to the back of the throat, nausea and vomiting. There are a few long terms users who are able to swallow this excess saliva without any undue problems.

With cosmesis of an importance to the tobacco industry, user friendly products have been devised. Gone are the days when gobs of spit were common after use. The current day products come in all flavors and smells and the majority do not cause excess spit. One more tactic by the industry to lure more users.
Nicotine and Chemicals in Smokeless tobacco

Smokeless tobacco contains numerous chemicals with the potential of causing cancer. Despite all industry claims, nicotine is found in high concentration in all smokeless products and moist snuff has the highest nicotine content, whereas loose-leaf chewing tobacco has the lowest nicotine content. Numerous studies have shown that twice as much nicotine per dose from smokeless tobacco is absorbed per dose from smokeless tobacco than cigarettes. The nicotine which is ingested from the mouth stays longer in the body compared to smoking.

Exactly what the other additives are in smokeless tobacco are hard to know because there are so many products. These smokeless tobacco products are made in many different countries by many different companies with little regulation of their content. The additives, their composition, dose and purity remain unknown.