Health effects
General
Health effects
Anonymous
09-06-2009, 1:23 PM
I noiticed in your FAQ under "what are the health effects of ST?", you fail to mention teeth staining, mouth sores, severe gum recession, gingivitis/periodontal disease, tooth loss. I think this is particularly important as science is continually uncovering the relationship between an unhealthy mouth and variety of diseases, inside and outside the oral cavity. So saying, "using ST is almost as good quitting smoking entirely" seems a bit misleading.
Re: Health effects
admin
09-08-2009, 9:45 AM
It would be in fact more misleading to say that switching was "not almost as good".
Everything we say is within the context of harm reduction which means that we always think of ST use in comparison to smoking. The drop in danger from smoking is only minimally different from the advantage of total cessation. That being said, we certainly will, and often do, state that quitting is the best alternative if you can and wish to do that.
That statement is also made with the knowledge that some people suffer oral effects, and the products vary quite a bit in their effect but overall with current products and typical use, the health risks are still not that different from quitting. (And FYI tooth staining is not a health effect).
Re: Health effects
Anonymous
09-08-2009, 8:25 PM
"That statement is also made with the knowledge that some people suffer oral effects"
You may have that knowledge, but smokers browsing your website may not. They may want to know the very possible effects listed above...even tooth staining.
Re: Health effects
admin
09-09-2009, 9:50 AM
You make a good point.
I will consider working that in somewhere but again in terms of switching its one of those things that tends to wash out in the sense that smoking causes all the same effects, and in general, even the in mouth effects (staining, sores, periodontal issues) tend to be worse with smoking so there is some effect reduction in this respect as well.
There is little doubt though that the older products such as loose chewing tobacco would stain much more than smoking.
Ultimately though you really do not want people to worry more about staining than they do about cancer or emphysema.
Re: Health effects
Anonymous
09-09-2009, 10:52 AM
Some may argue that there is also little doubt that dipping tobacco (the most popular method in the U.S.) causes severe gum recession, even more than smoking. I think the oral mouth effects of dipping are understated on your site. I think gum recession/disease, for example, is not a effect that would be considered "a wash". Just curious ...do you have any studies that show habitual smoking causes MORE gum recession that habitual snuff use? It just seems so unlikely...
Anyway, thanks
Re: Health effects
admin
09-10-2009, 9:35 AM
No, we have no such studies and not being an expert in periodontology I looked around a little and going to the American Institute of Periodontology, there is a warning regarding smoking and a further passage that the use of smokeless tobacco is also something to avoid if you are concerned with periodontal health (including receding gums). It seems for them that smokeless use is either less important or no more important than smoking when it comes to these effects.
However, even if smokeless was much worse for gum recession, it would still be much healthier than smoking which is the issue here.
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