April 10, 2007
Smokeless tobacco is a losing game
ANCHOR LEAD
It's spring and soon fans will be heading out to the ballpark to catch a glimpse of their favorite team. While the sights and sounds of the season come to mind, so do images of another baseball past time — players chewing tobacco. REPORTER NAME tells us it doesn't matter who you are, dipping into a can of chew is a losing game.
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(Optional NATS of baseball bat)
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From the crack of the bat...
(Optional NATS of crowd)
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to the roar of the crowd...baseball season is here.
(Optional NATS of vendor..."get ya peanuts, here'ya")
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You can taste the hotdogs — see the homeruns — and unfortunately, spot the players spitting tobacco. It's not the most wholesome element of America's favorite past time but it's part of the sport. Still, Dr. Marshall Posner (Pose-ner) of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston says chewing tobacco shouldn't be considered all fun and games.
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Dr. Marshall Posner, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
MP3 "The more you take it"
"The more you take it, the more likely you are to get cancer"
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According to doctors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Massachusetts Dental Society chewing tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. Some studies show that one can of smokeless tobacco has 144 milligrams of nicotine. That's equal to about 80 cigarettes — or four packs. That makes it just as addictive as smoking with many of the same health risks.
Chewing tobacco — also called spit, dip, or chew — can cause:
- Cracked or bleeding lips,
- receding gum lines,
- tooth loss,
- mouth sores,
- and high blood pressure which increases your odds for a heart attack and stroke.
It can also cause cancer of the mouth and tongue which can require radiation and deforming surgery.
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Dr. Marshall Posner, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
MP3 "People can lose pieces of"
"People can lose pieces of their jaw, can have part of their tongue removed, in some cases the whole tongue could be removed."
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If you have any kind of sore in your mouth, you should see your dentist or doctor immediately. Dr. Posner warns once the cells in the mouth are altered, the damage is done and can not be reversed.
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Dr. Marshall Posner, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
MP3 "Chewing tobacco and smokeless tobacco"
"Chewing tobacco and smokeless tobacco products are really a gift that keeps on giving long after the person stops chewing or dipping."
ANCHOR TAG
Experts say, if you haven't started dipping, don't. And if you do chew, get help to stop.