Smokeless tobacco use on the rise in the youth

Washington, March 5: 'No smoke, no spit, no boundaries'. Teens seem to view smokeless tobacco as a healthier alternative to smoking, completely oblivious to the fact that they are having a chemical bomb ticking inside the mouth.

The fondness for this kind of smokeless tobacco is gaining alarming proportions in the American youth. According to the report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, there is a 30 percent rise in smokeless tobacco consumption in boys aged 12 to 17 from 2002 to 2007. However, there is not much change in the use by adults.

According to the report around 566,000 teenage boys had used chewing tobacco or snuff in 2007, showing a spurt from 3.4 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent in 2007.

The data was based on a government survey, which questioned about 68,000 people across the nation as to whether they had used snuff or chewing tobacco in the previous months. The results revealed that nearly 7.8 million Americans used smokeless tobacco, with men being 15 times higher than women in using tobacco.

An increase in its use is concerning especially because it is strongly associated with smoking initiation. More than half of the adolescents in the age group of 18-25 using smokeless tobacco were also cigarette smokers.

Danny McGoldrick, vice president for research at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids advocacy group said, "This trend toward more smokeless tobacco use by kids is of great concern. This is an industry that has a history of targeting kids because they know that's when everybody starts."

The increase is attributed primarily to tobacco companies targeting younger users. They are being promoted in bars and music magazines geared toward younger audiences, and the marketing materials suggest using it at rock concerts and clubs.

Because users do not need to spit, and it is far more discreet than traditional cigarettes, it is gaining ground in the teens. They are packaged in small, decorative tins and also available in flavors like mint and cinnamon.

Youngsters get quickly accustomed to dipping snuff, enjoying the feel of the juicy wad in the mouth and the heady buzz that that goes with its consumption.

The use of this kind of tobacco consumption accelerates periodontal problems and cardiovascular disease. It has been most closely associated with increased risks of oral and pancreatic cancerdefine.

McGoldrick felt that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should regulate tobacco products.