• 3/12/2007
  • web-based article
  • staff
  • eMaxHealth.com

In light of a new study conducted by the American Cancer Society, the South Dakota Department of Health is reminding current tobacco users that the only certain way to avoid the health risks of tobacco products is to quit completely.

“This study not only confirms what we already know—that spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. But it also reveals that smokers who switched to chewing tobacco had considerably worse health outcomes than those who quit entirely” said Dr. Gail Gray, division director of Health and Medical Services.

The study was published in the Journal of Tobacco Control and conducted by researchers at American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control’s Office on Smoking and Health. It studied more than 116,000 men and found that cigarette smokers who switched to spit tobacco products had a higher risk of dying prematurely from tobacco-related diseases than former smokers who stopped using all forms of tobacco. The study is the first to compare death rates among those who quit using tobacco entirely with those who switch. Previous studies have examined morbidity and mortality among the two groups separately but have not compared them.

The study’s principal finding was that the men who switched from smoking cigarettes to using spit tobacco had higher death rates from lung cancer, stroke, heart disease and all causes combined than men who quit using tobacco entirely. Switchers also had more than twice the death rate from cancers of the mouth and throat.

The Department of Health recommends that tobacco users who are trying to quit avoid using other tobacco products or other non-evidence based approaches and instead use proven approaches such as professional coaching, nicotine replacement, and other medications, which have been shown to have better outcomes than quitting without assistance. All South Dakotans have access to the Department’s tobacco QuitLine, 1-866-SD QUITS (1-866-737-8487). The QuitLine offers free professional coaching services as well as information regarding discounted quit tobacco products.

The Department of Health’s tobacco control program coordinates state efforts to prevent people from starting to use tobacco products, help current tobacco users quit, and reduce nonsmokers’ exposure to second-hand smoke. The program’s activities are conducted in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs and the Guide to Community Preventive Services.