Smokeless Tobacco: A Wad of Trouble

Produced

• 1999

Key Features

One 30-minute video

Many teens begin using smokeless tobacco with the assumption that "dipping" or chewing is a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. In reality, one can of smokeless tobacco may contain as much nicotine as three packs of cigarettes. This eye-opening program provides viewers with the facts concerning the social and medical ramifications of using smokeless tobacco and presents techniques for quitting this potentially deadly habit.

Doctors and dentists look at how nicotine is readily absorbed through the lining in the mouth, while an interview with a woman who lost a brother to oral cancer provides viewers with a firsthand look at the devastating consequences of continued use. Also includes interviews with teenage users explaining how and why they began using smokeless tobacco, and victims’ accounts of their medical problems. Graphic photos show various stages of cancerous lesions and users whose faces have been grossly disfigured from surgery to remove diseased areas. This hard-hitting program provides teens with the facts concerning the dangers of smokeless tobacco and the basis for hours of classroom discussion.