Take a Hike, Tobacco

The negative health effects of smoking cigarettes are common knowledge. But do you know you’re at risk of developing illnesses that are just as scary if you’re a smokeless tobacco or cigar user?

Chewing tobacco and snuff, which are used by being placed between the cheek and gum or teeth, are both considered smokeless tobacco. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), smokeless tobacco can cause cancer of the mouth, tongue, cheek, gum, esophagus, stomach and pancreas; an increase in the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and stroke; receding gums and gum disease; and bone loss around the roots of the teeth. Not to mention bad breath, discolored teeth, and an addiction to nicotine.

Regular cigar smokers are at a high risk for developing cancer in the lungs, lips, tongue, mouth, throat, esophagus and larynx. The ACS says that studies show regular cigar smokers are four to 10 times more likely to die from cancers of the mouth, larynx and esophagus than non-smokers, and cigar smoking can be linked to death from pancreas and bladder cancer if the smoke is inhaled.

Your best health bet when it comes to any type of tobacco? Don’t do it.