Smokeless Tobacco Use On the Rise

A U.S. study found snuff and chewing tobacco use are on the rise in some states, and smokers who use such products may find it harder to quit, HealthDay News reported Nov. 4.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to assess the use of all tobacco products in the U.S. Seven of the 13 states with the highest smoking prevalence (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia) also had the highest rate of smokeless tobacco use. Across states, the rate was highest in men aged 18 to 24 with a high-school education or less.

At 23.4 percent, Wyoming clocked in with highest rate of smokeless tobacco use among men who smoked.

The survey also revealed that smokeless tobacco use has increased across the nation, from 3.1 percent in 2002 to 3.7 percent in 2007. In some states, such as West Virginia and Wyoming, the use of such products among men was nearly on par with the national smoking rate of 21 percent.

Recent tobacco-industry ads have encouraged smokers to use smokeless tobacco where smoking isn’t allowed, such as in theaters and on airplanes.

According to the CDC, the results are troubling because studies have shown people who use multiple tobacco products have a harder time quitting smoking, which increases their risk for tobacco-related diseases.

“Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in this country and, unfortunately, smokers are also using smokeless tobacco,” said CDC director Tom Frieden, MD, in a CDC news release.

“Use of smokeless tobacco may keep some people from quitting tobacco altogether,” he continued. “We need to intensify our anti-tobacco efforts to help people quit using all forms of tobacco.”

The findings were published Nov. 5 in the CDC’s publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.