As thousands of smokers continue to fail in their attempts to quit, some health officials promote substituting smokeless tobacco products for cigarettes to help wean off the addiction.
But UF researchers have recently released a study negating the method, proving that an increase in tobacco use in any form leads to an addiction, especially in young people.
"Anything compared to smoking is less risky, but that doesn't mean other tobacco products aren't risky, too," said Dr. Scott Tomar, a department chairman and professor for UF's College of Dentistry.
Smokeless tobacco products are not regulated, and they contain at least 500 chemicals of unknown amounts, concentrations or health effects, he said.
"It is ironic that there are federal regulations on the ingredients in non-nicotine drugs, such as gum, patches and lozenges, which are proven to work," he said. "But for some reason people choose to help themselves by using other tobacco products filled with completely unregulated components."
Smokeless tobacco products often coincide with smoking, he added.
"We see a large amount of dual use," Tomar said. "Instead of quitting, people just end up using both."
Tavis Glassman, coordinator of UF's Alcohol and Drug Resource Center, agreed.
"I would never recommend substituting one tobacco product with another," he said. "It simply flies in the face of common sense."
Tobacco use, smokeless or not, kills more people each year than every other drug combined, he said. If you can cut even one year of tobacco use out of your life, you dramatically improve your health, he said.
"Make health your No. 1 priority," he said. "Don't quit quitting."
