SMOKELESS USE & HEALTH ISSUES
Smokeless tobacco product users and potential users should be guided by the messages of the U.S. Surgeon General and public health authorities in making decisions about using smokeless tobacco products.
This section of our website features information on these messages, as well as links to government and public health authorities, including the U.S. Surgeon General's reports related to tobacco. Our products' packaging and advertising materials carry the four federally-mandated warnings.
Smokeless Tobacco Products and Disease in Smokeless Tobacco Product Consumers
The U.S. Surgeon General and other public health authorities have determined that smokeless tobacco products:
- cause serious diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and other diseases of the mouth, gums and teeth;
- cause adverse reproductive effects and should not be used during pregnancy; and
- are not a safe alternative to smoking.
Smokeless tobacco product users and potential users should be guided by these messages in making all tobacco use-related decisions.
Visit the links at the right to obtain more information about smokeless tobacco product use and disease in smokeless tobacco product users.
Addiction
The U.S. Surgeon General and other public health authorities have determined that smokeless tobacco products are addictive. It can be very difficult to quit using smokeless tobacco products, but this should not deter users who want to quit from trying to do so. Learn more about Quitting the Use of Smokeless Tobacco Products.
Quitting the Use of Smokeless Tobacco Products
For smokeless tobacco users who have decided to quit, a wealth of expert quitting information exists from public health authorities and others. For example:
- www.smokefree.gov is a website from the National Cancer Institute that provides free information and professional help to people trying to quit using tobacco, including smokeless tobacco.
- 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) is a toll-free telephone number that connects callers to their state-run quitline for counseling and information about quitting tobacco.
Learn more about U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company's efforts to support smokeless tobacco users who have decided to quit. If you decide to quit using smokeless tobacco, visit www.QuitAssist.com.
Surgeon General Reports on Smokeless Tobacco and Health
The Surgeon General of the United States has been the nation's leading spokesperson on matters of public health since 1871. A report on smokeless tobacco product use and health was published in 1986. For more information on the Surgeon General reports related to tobacco use, please visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To access all Surgeon General reports, please visit the National Library of Medicine website and click on the full list of reports link.