In a recent survey conducted by Physical education professor Deb Bakker, 342 of 1539 students at MIAA league schools have used chewing tobacco or snuff in one season.
This includes such schools as Adrian, Albion, Alma, Calvin, Hope, Kalamazoo, and Olivet. The students surveyed were a spread of athletes and non-athletes.
Approximately five percent had already quit when surveyed, leaving 17% of the 22% still actively dipping or chewing. Bakker hopes that, based on her research, a "guesstimate" of less than 22% of Calvin students currently use smokeless tobacco.
According to a survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than one in ten high school students chewed or dipped within thirty days of being questioned. Most users are between 10 and 30 years old.
According to the NSTEP (the National Spit Tobacco Education Program), the majority of young people who use chewing or dipping tobacco because of peer pressure. They say the use and promotion of these products by prominent athletes and attractive advertising also influence young people.
According to Bakker's MIAA survey work, the three top reasons for starting smokeless tobacco are: 1)It makes the user feel good. 2)Friends are doing it. 3)It is fun and aids relaxation. The Calvin student at the highest risk, said Bakker, is the male athlete involved in group athletics, such as baseball.
Historically, most chewers and dippers (among them, athletes such as Babe Ruth and Nolan Ryan) begin through a connection to baseball and other group sports. The myth is that the surge of nicotine betters the athlete’s game.
According to a brochure backed by the National Cancer Institute and Major League Baseball, "the rise in pulse and blood pressure places an extra stress on your heart that may reduce your overall stamina."
Another myth is that smokeless tobacco is safer than cigarettes. However, while the people around a chewer or dipper will escape secondhand smoke, the person using it faces more serious effects. A fact sheet from the Chicago Dental Society claims that "one can of spit tobacco delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes." Some of the side effects of smokeless tobacco include bad breath, gum disease, and tooth loss. Also, white patches called leukoplakias and mouth sores are likely to appear. Another myth is that smokeless tobacco is safer than cigarettes. However, while the people around a chewer or dipper will escape secondhand smoke, the person using it faces more serious effects. A fact sheet from the Chicago Dental Society claims that "one can of spit tobacco delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes." Some of the side effects of smokeless tobacco include bad breath, gum disease, and tooth loss. Also, white patches called leukoplakias and mouth sores are likely to appear.