The Great American Spit Out is February 23rd this year. This is a day to encourage people to stop using smokeless tobacco products.
What are the dangers of smokeless tobacco products?
The level of cancer-causing nitrosamines is up to 100 times higher in smokeless tobacco than in other tobacco products. It contains more nicotine than cigarettes, which can cause a stronger dependence. It compromises oral health with the risk of throat, esophageal and pancreatic cancers in addition to gum disease, tooth loss, cavities, and dental implant failure.
HRN’s Tobacco Education Program provides quit kits to encourage smokeless tobacco users to quit.
Benefits of quitting can be seen almost immediately after the last chew. In 20 minutes, your blood pressure goes down; within 24 hours, your oxygen levels normalize; and within 3 days, your body becomes completely free of nicotine.
There are many long-term benefits of living free of smokeless tobacco, including having improved oral health and a greatly reduced risk for cancer. In five years after someone stops, their risk of getting oral cancer is cut in half!
Combining cessation medications with counseling offers the best chance of quitting — and staying tobacco-free.
Here are some things that can help someone who wants to quit:
Talk to a doctor about quit plans and medications, such as nicotine replacement therapies (like gum, patches and lozenges) to relieve the physical cravings that come with nicotine withdrawal.
Visit Kick It CA at https://kickitca.org/quit-smokeless for help and resources.
Call a Quit Coach at Kick It CA, at 1-800-300-8086 for a customized plan and confidential counseling support.
If you know someone who wants help quitting, HRN’s Tobacco Education Program always has quit kits available with local, anonymous, and national resources to help begin their quit journey. Contact HRN at (530)623-2024 for more information.
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