Delaware Oral Health Program

FACT SHEET

Tobacco Facts

• The nicotine found in cigarettes and in smokeless tobacco is a powerful, addictive drug that acts on several parts of the body. Once addicted, it becomes difficult, but not impossible, to quit using smokeless tobacco or to stop smoking.
• The use of tobacco products is not only addicting, but is directly related to a number of health problems and diseases. A few of the oral health problems smokers or smokeless tobacco users can develop are —
  • bad breath
  • black hairy tongue
  • brown, stained teeth
  • cancers of the cheek, esophagus, lip, palate and tongue
  • ground-down teeth
  • gum disease and loss of teeth
  • receding gums
• Some of the harmful ingredients found in tobacco are —
  • arsenic
  • cyanide
  • dead bugs
  • dirt
  • fertilizer
  • formaldehyde
  • manure
  • nicotine
  • pesticides
  • soot
• At least 19 different types of cancer-causing substances, called nitrosamines, are found in tobacco products.
• Oral cancer is serious. When it spreads to the lymph nodes in the neck, it is often deadly.
• Smokeless tobacco is not a harmless alternative to smoking. It is just as hazardous to your health as cigarettes. Protect your health; avoid all tobacco products.
• The risk of developing lung cancer is 10 times greater for smokers than for non-smokers. Also, breathing second-hand smoke (someone else’s smoke) can be as dangerous as smoking.
• Once you stop using tobacco products, your blood pressure, pulse rate and skin temperature will return to normal within 20 minutes. Within eight hours, high levels of carbon monoxide in your blood will return to normal and, within a few weeks, your circulation will improve, your sense of taste and smell will improve, and you will have fewer colds and more energy. It is never too late to stop!