Health effects of smokeless tobacco. Council on Scientific Affairs
Tobacco in various forms has been used for centuries. Using snuff and
chewing tobacco was popular in the United States during the 18th and 19th
centuries, but current data on their use are limited. Pharmacologic and
physiologic effects of snuff and chewing tobacco include the gamut of
cardiovascular, endocrinologic, neurologic, and psychological effects that
are associated with nicotine. A review of studies appearing in the
scientific literature involving various populations and approaches
indicates that the use of snuff or chewing tobacco is associated with a
variety of serious adverse effects and especially with oral cancer. The
studies suggest that snuff and chewing tobacco also may affect
reproduction, longevity, the cardiovascular system, and oral health. One
group estimated that the relative risk of oral cancer in longtime users of
snuff varied from 1.8 to 48 times that of its occurrence in nonusers. But
few of the studies have fully utilized accepted scientific and
epidemiologic methods. The Council on Scientific Affairs concludes there is
evidence demonstrating that the use of snuff or chewing tobacco is
associated with adverse health effects such as oral cancer, urges the
implementation of well-planned and long-term studies that will further
define the risks of using snuff and chewing tobacco, and recommends that
the restrictions applying to the advertising of cigarettes also be applied
to the advertising of snuff and chewing tobacco.
