Chewing tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes.  It's deadly.  Thousands of spit tobacco users die from oral cancer every year.  If you think chewing tobacco is safe, you don't know spit.

Through With Chew Week is February 14-20, 2010 and Quit Spit Day is Thursday, February 18th.  This is a day to quit spit for a day or quit for good.  Help is available to help you quit.  Call the Wyoming Quit Tobacco Program at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or log onto wy.quitnet.com

Quitting Spit can be difficult, but it's not impossible. Here are some tips to spit it out and keep it out.

• Make a list of all the reasons you want to quit. Keep it with you and look at it often.
• Pick a quit date and announce your plan to quit. Ask friends and family for encouragement and help!
• Make it difficult to use tobacco; throw out all your chewing tobacco.
• When the urge to use tobacco hits, take a deep breath. Hold it for ten seconds, then release slowly.
• Get more exercise. Exercise will reduce tension and help with weight control.
• Stock up on low-calorie snacks such as sugarless gum and candy, carrots, fresh fruit, popcorn and sunflower seeds (good for spitting, too)!
• Avoid situations or places where you usually use tobacco,  riding with friends who smoke or chew, or watching TV, etc.
• Get rid of nicotine in your body. Drink lots of water, fruit juices and caffeine-free soft drinks.
• Keep busy. Wash the car, the dog, the dishes. Write a letter, play an instrument, take a walk, call a friend.
• Get rid of "tobacco mouth" by brushing your teeth and tongue several times throughout the day.
• Estimate how much money you will save by not using tobacco.
• Reward yourself!  Quitting is hard and you deserve credit for your efforts. Buy a new CD or something you like! 
  

Smokeless tobacco cessation reduces the risks associated with its use. These risks include:

1) Exposure to 28 cancer-causing agents, including those that cause cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas;

 2) Increased risk of coronary artery disease;

3) Delayed healing of injuries and wounds;

4) Gum recession, resulting in bone loss and decay of exposed tooth roots; and

5) Risk of having leukoplakia, (i.e., lesions of soft tissue that can become cancerous).