How many of you have ever chewed smokeless tobacco before, or knows someone who chew’s? Have you ever thought of what it is doing to your mouth? Many people think that it is a safe alternative to smoking. The facts don’t lie; chewing smokeless tobacco is just a harmful to your health as smoking. Smokeless tobacco comes in two main forms, chewing tobacco, and snuff. There are 3 forms of chewing tobacco; loose leaf, plug, and twist (roll). Each of these types is chewed the same way, by placing them between the cheek and gums. Smokeless tobacco, or snuff comes in 3 main forms also; moist, dry and sachets. Snuff is placed between the gums and cheek and sucked on. Both of these types of chewing cause an excess amount of saliva. It is up to the chewer, to swallow the saliva or to spit it out. What is the health side effects associated with chewing? Chewing can cause cancer, bad breath, tooth decay, reseeding gums, gum disease, reproductive problems for both men and women, and a nicotine addiction. First there are several types of cancer caused by the 28 cancer causing agents used in chew; lip, mouth, and throat. Other problems that occur in the mouth are bad breath, tooth decay, reseeding gums, gum disease, yellowing of the teeth, all of which can lead to other health problems. Chewing can have harmful and or unhealthy effects on both men and women’s reproductive health. In men, it can lower their sperm count, and cause abnormal sperm cells. In women, during a pregnancy, chewing can cause high blood pressure, fluid retention, swelling, premature birth, and low birth weight. Finally, there is the nicotine addiction. Nicotine is a drug that is extremely addictive, and easy to become dependent on. One dip of chew contains more nicotine then a cigarette. “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.” Once you start chewing, and you are