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2005’s Smoking-Ban in Jefferson County left smokers restricted to and from particular locations. The ban’s focus is more on the environmental cost of smoking, not the smoker. By all means continue using highly addictive substances; just do it outside and 50 feet away from entrances. But there is an alternative, “dipping.” A form of smokeless tobacco can lead nicotine addictive citizens back in entryways, restaurants, workplaces and other facilities. Smokeless tobacco doesn’t pollute the air, just the user.
Wes Reis, a junior sports administration major, has been ‘dipping’ for over six years and prefers it over smoking. He said, “I don’t smell like an ashtray and I don’t have to go outside [to do it].”
Compared to smoking, Reis doesn’t feel the effects. “I’m still able to play [baseball].” Senior math major Ryan Glassford, who’s been smoking for five years said he’s waking up with smoke related chest pains.
Smokeless tobacco isn’t a healthy alternative, it is just an alternative. The Mayo Clinic states that smokeless tobacco causes cavities, gum disease, heart problems, precancerous mouth sores and oral cancer. The risk of oral cancer is increased when using smokeless tobacco.
“Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth, throat, cheek, gums, lips and tongue. Surgery to remove cancer from any of the areas can leave the jaw, chin, neck or face disfigured,” according to the May Clinic and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
“I tried it once and got sick,” said Marianne Murnur, an advanced standing social work graduate student. Murnur, 23 years old, has been smoking for 11 years and tried ‘dipping’ as an option to quit smoking. She said, “It was nasty.”
There are two basic kinds of smokeless tobacco, chewing and snuff. The National Cancer Institute defined chewing tobacco as loose leaves, plugs or twists that are chewed and snuff, either dry or moist, are loose leaves or pouches.
Smokeless tobacco that is mostly purchased by American users is moist snuff or dip and the act is known as dipping. Pinching a small clump of the moist tobacco and placing it behind the lower or upper lip, in front of the teeth and gums creates a lump in the face. The saliva passes the nicotine into the blood vessels causing the nicotine high. Users then periodically spit out the fluids; swallowing dip could cause vomiting.
Out of the 50 states, 11 remain without smoking bans. The other 39 have left patrons wondering whether or not smokeless tobacco will be included with in the ban.
“I think [‘dipping’] kind of goes around [the smoking ban],” said sophomore CIS major Matt Grant. “It’s not affecting anyone else…not like smoking.”
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Dec. 2005, 20.9 percent of adults smoked cigarettes and 23 percent of high school students are current users. Cigarette smoking is widely used among the different ethnicities. The CDC stated the “Prevalence of cigarette smoking is highest among American Indians/Alaska Natives (33.4 percent), followed by whites (22.2 percent), African Americans (20.2 percent), Hispanics (15 percent), and Asians [excluding Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders](11.3 percent).”
However, smokeless tobacco isn’t as widely used in the United States as cigarettes. Only four percent of American Indian/Alaska Natives, four percent of whites, one percent of African Americans, one percent of Hispanics, and 0.6 percent of Asian-American adults are current smokeless tobacco users, according to the CDC in 2005.
Glassford tried ‘dipping’ in middle school, but he had braces and the experience was short lived. For several reasons people opted not to ‘dip’.
ww”People sometimes [react] to me ‘dipping’ in public. My girlfriend thinks it gross, but she’d rather me dip than smoke,” said Reis.
Tobacco companies are marketing smokeless tobacco in places where smoking cigarettes is forbidden. The top five tobacco companies spent over $236 million in 2001 on advertising alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission on smokeless tobacco.
Depending on which brand you purchase, the price fairs better for moist snuff than cigarettes. A carton of cigarettes costs on average $25-30 dollars and a pack of ten tins of moist snuff on average costs $20-25.
Tobacco use, smokeless or not, isn’t healthy, that’s a given. But some smokers and dippers aren’t fazed by the warning labels on both cigarette boxes or snuff tins.
“I don’t know why I do it,” Reis said, “It’s easy.”
