So you're a dipper and you'd
like to quit.
Maybe you've already found
that quitting dip or chew is not easy. But you can do it!
This guide is intended to help you make your own plan for
quitting.
Many former dippers have
shared advice on quitting that can help you. This guide is
the result of advice from chewers and dippers who have
canned the habit.
Like most dippers, you
probably know that the health-related reasons to quit are
awesome. But you must find your own personal reasons for
quitting. They can motivate you more than the fear of health
consequences. It's important to develop your own recipe for
willpower.
In this guide we refer more
to dip than chew, just to keep it simple. Also, note that we
call it spit tobacco, not smokeless tobacco. Smokeless
tobacco is the term preferred by the tobacco industry. It
makes the products sound safe; they aren't.
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Here's a brief summary of
the harm dipping does.
- Sugar in spit tobacco may
cause decay in exposed tooth roots.
- Dip and chew can cause
your gums to pull away from the teeth in the place where
the tobacco is held. The gums do not grow back.
- Leathery white patches,
called leukoplakia (loo-ko-play-kia), and red sores are
common in dippers and chewers and can turn into cancer.
- Mouth Cancer - among the
toughest cancers to treat. Surgery needed to treat mouth
cancer is often difficult and disfiguring. The disease
can spread quickly. On average, only half of those with
mouth cancer will survive more than five years.
Need more reasons to quit?
-
It's expensive!
A can of dip costs an average of nearly $3. A
two-can-a-week habit costs about $300 per year. A
can-a-day habit costs nearly $1,100 per year. Likewise,
chewing tobacco costs about $2. A pouch-a-day habit
costs over $700 a year. Think of all the things you
could do with that money instead of dipping or chewing.
It adds up.
-
It's disgusting!
If the health effects don't worry you, think of
how other people see your addiction.
The smell of spit tobacco in your mouth is not pleasant.
While you may have become used to the odor and don't
mind it, others around you notice.
Check out your clothes. Do you have tobacco juice stains
on your clothes, your furniture, or on your car's
upholstery? Your tobacco spit and drool could be making
a mess.
Look at your teeth. Are they stained from tobacco juice?
Brushing your teeth won't make this go away.
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Nicotine
Levels of Popular Brands
Highest
to Lowest
- Kodiak Wintergreen
- Skoal Longcut
Straight
- Copenhagen Snuff
- Copenhagen Long
Cut
- Skoal Bandits Mint
- Hawken Wintergreen
*
This list is provided for information only. NIDCR
and NCI do not endorse the use of any tobacco
product.
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Hard to believe you're a
nicotine addict?
-
Believe it.
Nicotine, found in all
tobacco products, is a highly addictive drug that acts
in the brain and throughout the body.
Dip and chew contain more nicotine than cigarettes.
Some facts:
Holding an average-size dip in your mouth for
30 minutes gives you as much nicotine as smoking three
cigarettes. A 2-can-a-week snuff dipper gets as much
nicotine as a 1-1/2 pack-a-day smoker does.
To the right is a chart comparing the nicotine levels of
some popular snuff brands.
Think about your own habit. Check how many of the
following apply to you.
How
Addicted Are You?
- I no longer get sick or
dizzy when I dip or chew, like I did when I first
started.
- I dip more often and in
different settings.
- I've switched to stronger
products, with more nicotine.
- I swallow juice from my
tobacco on a regular basis.
- I sometimes sleep with dip
or chew in my mouth.
- I take my first dip or
chew first thing in the morning.
- I find it hard to go more
than a few hours without dip or chew.
- I have strong cravings
when I go without dip or chew.
The more items you check, the
more likely that you are addicted.
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There are several myths
about spit tobacco.
Sometimes these myths make
users feel more comfortable in their habits. Below are
some myths and the truths that relate to them.
Myth: Spit
tobacco is a harmless alternative to smoking.
Truth: Spit
tobacco is still tobacco. In tobacco are nitrosamines,
cancer-causing chemicals from the curing process. Note the
warnings on the cans.
Myth: Dip
(or chew) improves my athletic performance.
Truth: A
study of professional baseball players found no connection
between spit tobacco use and player performance. Using spit
tobacco increases your heart rate and blood pressure within
a few minutes. This can cause a buzz or rush, but the rise
in pulse and blood pressure places an extra stress on your
heart. That may actually reduce your overall performance.
Myth: Good
gum care can offset the harmful effects of using dip or
chew.
Truth: There
is no evidence that brushing and flossing will undo the harm
that dip and chew are doing to your teeth and gums.
Myth: If you
dip or chew for only 5 to 10 years, you won't get cancer.
Truth:
Long-term users are more likely to develop cancer, but they
are not the only ones at risk. Cancers have been found in
the mouths of guys who have used the product regularly for
as few as six years.
Myth: It's
easy to quit using dip or chew when you want to.
Truth:
Unfortunately, nicotine addiction makes quitting difficult.
But those who have quit successfully are very glad they did.
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Kicking the spit or chew
habit can be tough, but it can be done, and you can do it.
The best way to quit spit
tobacco is to have a quit date and a quitting plan.
These methods make it easier. Try what you think will work
best for you.
Quitting spit tobacco is
not something you do on a whim. You have to want to quit
to make it through those first few weeks off tobacco. You
know your reasons for stopping. Don't let outside
influence -like peer pressure- get in your way. Focus on
all you don't like about dipping and chewing.
Here are some reasons given
by others. Are any of them important to you?
- To avoid health problems
- To prove I can do it
- I have sores or white
patches in my mouth
- To please someone I care
about
- To set a good example
for my kids or other kids
- To save money
- I don't like the taste
- I have gum or tooth
problems
- It's disgusting
- Because it's banned at
work or school
- I don't want it to
control me
- My girlfriend (or a girl
I'd like to date) hates it
- My wife hates it
- My physician or dentist
told me to quit
Pick your quit date. Even
if you think you're ready to quit now, take at least a
week to get ready. But don't put off setting a date.
Cut back before you quit by
tapering down.
Have your physician or
dentist check your mouth. Ask whether you need nicotine
replacement therapy (gum, nicotine patches, etc.).
There is no
"ideal" time to quit, but low-stress times are
best. Having a quit date in mind is important, no matter
how far off it is. But it's best to pick a date in the
next two weeks, so you don't put it off too long.
Pick a date that looks good
for you and write it in below.
THIS IS MY QUIT DATE
MONTH: _______
DATE:
_______
YEAR:
_______
FILL IT
IN!
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-
Cut
back before you quit
-
Some people are able
to quit spit tobacco "cold turkey".
Others find that cutting back makes quitting
easier. There are many ways to cut back.
-
Taper down. Cut back
to half of your usual amount before you quit. If
you usually carry your tin or pouch with you, try
leaving it behind. Carry substitutes
instead–sugar-free chewing gum or hard candies,
and sunflower seeds. During this period, you might
also try a mint-leaf snuff.
-
Cut back on when and
where you dip or chew. First, notice when your
cravings are strongest. What events trigger
dipping or chewing for you? Do you always reach
for a dip after meals? When you work out? In your
car or truck? On your job? Don't carry your pouch
or tin. Use a substitute instead. Go as long as
you possibly can without giving into a craving, at
least 10 minutes. Try to go longer and longer as
you approach your quit day. Now, pick three of
your strongest triggers and stop dipping or
chewing at those times. This will be hard at
first. The day will come when you are used to
going without tobacco at the times you want it
most.
-
Notice what friends
and co-workers who don't dip or chew are doing at
these times. This will give you ideas for dip or
chew substitutes. It's a good idea to avoid your
dipping and chewing pals while you're trying to
quit. That will help you avoid the urge to reach
for a can or chew.
-
Switch to lower
nicotine snuff. This way, you cut down your
nicotine dose while you're getting ready to quit.
This can help to prevent strong withdrawal when
you quit.
-
Don't switch to other
tobacco products like cigarettes or cigars! In
fact, if you already smoke, this is a good time to
quit smoking. That way you can get over all your
nicotine addiction at once.
Let friends, family, and
co-workers know you're quitting. Warn them that you may
not be your usual self for a week or two after you quit.
Ask them to be patient. Ask them to stand by to listen and
encourage you when the going gets rough.
Suggest ways they can help,
like joining you for a run or a walk, helping you find
ways to keep busy, and telling you they know you can do
it. If they've quit, ask them for tips. If they use dip or
chew, ask them not to offer you any. They don't have to
quit themselves to be supportive, but maybe someone will
want to quit with you.
-
Quit
day!
- Make your quit day
special right from the beginning. You're doing
yourself a huge favor.
- Change daily routines
to break away from tobacco triggers. When you eat
breakfast, don't sit in the usual place at the
kitchen table. Get right up from the table after
meals.
- Make an appointment to
get your teeth cleaned. You'll enjoy the fresh,
clean feeling and a whiter smile.
- Keep busy and active.
Start the day with a walk, run, swim, or workout.
Aerobic exercise will help you relax. Plus, it
boosts energy, stamina, and all-around fitness and
curbs your appetite.
- Chew substitutes. Try
sugar-free hard candies, cinnamon sticks, gum,
mints, beef jerky, or sunflower seeds. Carry them
with you and use them whenever you have the urge to
dip or chew.
What
About Medications?
Nicotine replacement
therapy and non-nicotine replacement therapy (bupropion)
are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for smoking cessation. However,
these products have not been approved for spit
tobacco cessation. Further research is needed to
determine their effectiveness for helping spit
tobacco users quit.
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Withdrawal symptoms don't
last long.
Symptoms are strongest the
first week after you quit. The worst part is over
after 2 weeks. After a month, you'll feel better than
when you dipped or chewed. So be patient with yourself.
Wait it out (each urge
lasts only 3-5 minutes, whether or not you dip or chew).
Deep breathing and exercise help you feel better right
away.
Walk away from the
situation. Deep breathing and exercise help to blow off
steam. Ask others to be patient.
Add fiber to your diet
(whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and
vegetables).
Eat regular meals. Feeling
hungry is sometimes mistaken for the desire to dip or
chew.
Drink fruit juices. Reach
for low-calorie sweet snacks (like apples, sugar-free gums
and candies).
Take a warm bath or shower.
Try relaxation or meditation techniques.
ABOUT WEIGHT GAIN
Nicotine speeds up
metabolism, so quitting spit tobacco may result in a
slight weight gain.
To limit the amount
of weight you gain, try the following:
- Eat well-balanced
meals and avoid fatty foods. To satisfy your
cravings for sweets, eat small pieces of fruit.
Keep low-calorie foods handy for snacks. Try
popcorn (without butter), sugar-free gums and
mints, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
- Drink 6 to 8
glasses of water each day.
- Work about 30
minutes of daily exercise into your routine; try
walking or another activity such as running,
cycling, or swimming.
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You've made it through the
hardest part - the first week.
If you can stay off one week,
then you can stay off two. Just use the same willpower
and strategies that got you this far.
Cravings may be just as
strong this week, but they will come less often and go away
sooner.
Be prepared for temptation
Tobacco thoughts and urges
probably still bother you. They will be strongest in the
places where you dipped or chewed the most.
The more time you spend in
these places without dipping or chewing, the weaker the
urges will become. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Drinking them
could bust your plan to quit.
Know what events and places
will be triggers for you and plan ahead for them.
Write down some of your
triggers. And write what you'll do instead of dip or chew.
It may be as simple as reaching for gum or seeds, walking
away, or thinking about how far you've come.
MY STRONGEST TRIGGERS
TRIGGER 1: _________
TRIGGER 2: _________
TRIGGER 3: _________
FILL IT
IN!
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CONGRATULATIONS!
You've broken free of a tough addiction. If you can stay off
2 weeks, then you know you can beat this addiction. It
will get easier.
Keep using whatever worked
when you first quit. Don't expect new rituals to take the
place of spit tobacco right away. It took time to get used
to chewing or dipping at first, too.
Keep up your guard.
Continue to plan ahead for situations that may tempt you.
What if you should slip?
Try not to slip, not even
once. But, if you do slip, get right back on track.
Don't let feelings of guilt
lead you back to chewing or dipping. A slip does not mean
"failure". Figure out why you slipped and how to
avoid it next time. Get rid of any leftover tobacco.
Pick up right where you left
off before the slip. If slips are frequent, or you are
dipping or chewing on a regular basis, make a new quitting
plan. Quitting takes practice. The spit tobacco habit can be
tough to beat. Most users don't quit for good on the first
try. Don't give up! Figure out what would have helped. Try a
new approach next time. Talk to your physician or dentist
for extra help.
You can also call the National
Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS) at
1-800-4-CANCER . The CIS can give you tips and
suggestions on how to quit and send you free materials.
Call today - it's free!
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Congratulations!
You've done it. You've beaten the spit tobacco habit.
You're improving your health
and your future. Celebrate with the people on your
"support team." Offer your support to
friends and co-workers who are trying to quit using tobacco.
Pledge to yourself never to take another dip or chew.
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This information is not
copyrighted. Print and make as many photocopies as you need.
"Spit Tobacco: A Guide
for Quitting" is also available as a booklet.
Click
here to order a free copy.
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