Spit

Spit

Addiction to spit tobacco is a medically treatable condition the same as is a smoked tobacco addiction. Both are manifestations of nicotine addiction. Successful cessation involves many variables: the age of initiation, how much one has chewed and how much nicotine each dose entails. Unfortunately spit tobacco can contain 6 to 10 times the nicotine as a cigarette. Genetic or developmental factors influence individual tobacco addiction.

Spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. In reaction to growing public health awareness about smoke free air the tobacco industry has suggested that, rather than not be addicted to nicotine, smokers should dip when they cannot smoke. Hello? The only reason someone would want to ingest spit tobacco when they cannot smoke is to forestall withdrawal symptoms.

Please repeat: "Spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking."

For spit, or smoked tobacco, the approach to quitting takes on two facets: the physical dependency and the psychological habit. There are pharmacological aids that have various degrees of success depending on the individual. However, one constant is that medication alone, without counseling or social support, is next to worthless.

The best advice for anyone wanting to quit tobacco or to help someone quit is to speak to a medical professional. He or she can best evaluate an individual's nicotine dependency and prescribe medications or resources that responsibly suit a person's addiction.

Oral cancer is very aggressive and survival rates are low. Any spit tobacco user should be vigilant looking for any sores or white spots in the mouth, on the tongue, or lips. On first sign of this "leukoplakia" a person should run, not walk, to a medical professional.

With the growth of legal guarantees for smoke free air, the cigarette industry is expanding its nicotine addiction market reach. In 2005 RJ Reynolds purchased spit tobacco giant Conyers. Phillip Morris has introduced new Tobako, an oral product the addict ingests, and is rumored to be purchasing European snus manufacturers.

Spit tobacco is in the forefront for pro tobacco marketing of the conveniently called 'harm reduction' product promotion. Rather than challenge an industry that profits from nicotine addiction, 'harm reduction' seeks to reduce the toxicity of nicotine delivery. Long time tobacco free advocate Dr. K.H. Ginzel has characterized this perspective as akin to bargaining with Hitler in Normandy on how to accomodate keeping the death camps open.