Researchers Find Cancer-Causing Agent In Chewing Tobacco

[edgarshade]

MNT

Article Date: 23 Aug 2012 - 8:00 PDT

Approximately 9 million people in the U.S. use chewing tobacco, snuff or other related products. Now researchers have identified a strong oral carcinogen substance in smokeless tobacco. The teams findings are reported at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, who led the study, explained:

"This is the first example of a strong oral cavity carcinogen that's in smokeless tobacco. Our results are very important in regard to the growing use of smokeless tobacco in the world, especially among younger people who think it is a safer form of tobacco than cigarettes. We now have the identify of the only known strong oral carcinogen in these products."

More...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249398.php

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Well you are really on with the drug articles.

That said, I don't think many people will be surprised at this one.

 

[Crankinit]

Always wondered why these people don't just chew nicotine gum? In theory it should give the same effect and be at least somewhat safer (not to mention nowhere near as gross).

 

[f33lg00d]

Dip gets it in your blood stream faster by cutting your gums.

 

[sekio]

The compound in question is (2s)-N-nitroso-nornicotine. It's a product of smoke curing and ageing of tobacco, and has long been suspected to be a carcinogen ( look up nitrosamines in tobacco )

 

[slimvictor]

Always wondered why these people don't just chew nicotine gum? In theory it should give the same effect and be at least somewhat safer (not to mention nowhere near as gross).

Me, too.
I doubt that any difference between dip and gum is significant enough to be worth the increased cancer risk, and the yuck-factor.

On a related note, they have caffeinated gum here in Japan, and many people use it regularly.
It is missing all the antioxidants that tea and coffee have, but it is very, very convenient.
I sometimes chew it, when I need an immediate lift, or because it doesn't hit my stomach hard like coffee can.
So, this is kinda the opposite situation - instead of taking the healthy one (coffee/tea), people chew the gum.
I would imagine that, with tobacco, instead of taking the unhealthy (and yucky) one, some people would want to chew gum.
But it does lose that macho image that comes with chewing and spitting.

 

[THC2LSD]

Gum fucking sucks! It's hard, you have to chew it for like a half hour and it's not the same as snuff. Snuff is held in the cheek, not chewed, gives more nicotine, is faster acting and has other substances which add to the effects. Snuff doesn't kick in fast due to cutting the gums, it's because they put alkaline in it to make the nicotine absorbed better.

Lozenges are better but it's kind of annoying holding a horse pill in you mouth for a half hour, no spitting and not much swallowing. Haven't tried the old inhaler, nasal spray, sublingual tablets(not available in the US, maybe try online or in Mexico) or the smaller lozenges. Patches fall off and suck balls. They all still lack the other psychoactive chemicals.

I'd say the futures in e-cigs. Just work out some of the kinks and identify the other actives to add with the nicotine. They do use full alkaloid extracts for some, but some also extract the the carcinogens. Upside is you can smoke anywhere without fear. Downside is no more smoke breaks.

Hasn't it been long know that the nitrosamines are one of the primary carcinogens in tobacco, along with PAHs? Why not get ride of them or add something to block their effects or inhibit their formation? Do they add to the effects and taste? Would removing them leave an expensive, less effective, nasty tasting cigarette that nobody would buy?

 

[bagochina]

I used to chew tobacco, now i chew nicotine gum. have been chewing it for close to two years, works ok for me [varies between brands]. except the price is more expensive and sometimes i just dont want to chew gum. i think my teeth are starting to wear from so much chewing and i think i can flex my jaw muscles now.

 

[Thorns Have Roses]

On a related note, they have caffeinated gum here in Japan, and many people use it regularly.

Oh man, I've tried some of that stuff, it's weird. Some people I know brought it back for me as a souvenir last year. That and some books I wanted, but in Japanese . I always ask for a kiseru, but no dice.

I doubt that any difference between dip and gum is significant enough to be worth the increased cancer risk, and the yuck-factor.

Other actives, as thc2lsd said, and nicotine gum tastes like crap (I hear, I've never tried). We gotta have that good tobacco flavor. The increased salivation with dip is not interesting to me, but I've used snus, which is pretty decent.