Through With Chew Week helps reduce smokeless tobacco use

Through With Chew Week is planned for February 18 - 24, 2018, with Thursday, February 22, designated as the Great American Spit Out. These annual events call attention to the health risks and dangers associated with smokeless tobacco use. During Through With Chew Week, Lake Region District Health Unit will be providing smokeless tobacco users with tools to quit tobacco, educating the community about the ways smokeless tobacco can cause harm, and encouraging young people never to start using these products. Devils Lake High School and their SADD Team will be presenting information on the dangers of chew on February 21, 2018.

“This week, we are focusing on raising awareness of how dangerous using smokeless tobacco can be to our health,” said Liz Bonney with Lake Region District Health Unit. “Tobacco companies don’t want the public to know the truth about their products. Smokeless tobacco is not a safer alternative to cigarettes and can cause cancer and mouth diseases, as well as increase the risk of heart disease and stillbirth in pregnant women.”

Unfortunately, smokeless tobacco use is typically higher for young people in North Dakota than adults. In 2017, North Dakota’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed 8 percent of North Dakota high school students currently use chew, snuff, snus or dip. This is down from 2015, when 10.6 percent of high school students in the state reported using smokeless tobacco. Though progress is being made, North Dakota’s youth is still reporting higher use of smokeless tobacco than the national average of 5.8 percent (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Lake Region District Health Unit is proud to help prevent the use of smokeless tobacco, especially among young people, and assist those who are ready to quit.

Reducing the rate of smokeless tobacco use is a top priority for Lake Region District Health Unit because it reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, birth defects and even death. Events like Through With Chew Week and the Great American Spit Out are important opportunities to raise awareness and take action against tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable death and disease in North Dakota.

For help with quitting smokeless tobacco, visit https://ndquits.health.nd.gov/.