Smokeless tobacco and adolescents. With new indoor air ordinances, cigarette price increases and new smokeless tobacco products available, it is no surprise that adolescents are turning away from cigarettes and increasing use of smokeless tobacco. A report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed a 30 percent increase in the rate of smokeless tobacco use among boys aged 12 to 17 from 2002 to 2007. Data collected by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University Bloomington shows that since 2002, cigarette use by minors has been declining while smokeless tobacco is on the rise. "Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarette use," said Desiree Goetze, researcher at the IPRC. "It causes numerous health problems." Holding one pinch of spit tobacco in the mouth for 30 minutes provides the nicotine equivalent of four cigarettes. Users of spit tobacco are 50 times more likely to develop oral cancers than non-users. More than 60 percent of regular smokeless tobacco users have oral lesions, Leukoplakia, which is a disease of the mouth creating white patches and oral sores on the cheeks, gum and tongue.

The IPRC offers these suggestions to keep kids tobacco free:

• Start the conversation at an early age. The age of first use of smokeless tobacco is typically around 13. Even 5 or 6 is not too early to begin talking about it.
• Talk to your child about the health risks of tobacco use. Share a story of a relative or friend who had negative health consequences related to smokeless tobacco use.
• Explain the specific mouth problems. Smokeless tobacco can stain teeth, rot gums and cause teeth to fall out.
• If you currently use tobacco, contact a local cessation organization to help you quit. If you continue to use, try not to use in front of your children or make the tobacco accessible to them.
• Role-play how your child can say "no" when approached by other kids to use smokeless tobacco.
• Discuss Hollywood's glamorization of tobacco products. Talk to your child about how movies and sports can glamorize the use of tobacco.

If you suspect your child is already using tobacco:

• Do not use threats or ultimatums
• Find out why your child is using (peer pressure, weight, status)
• Work together on finding changes that can be made in your child's life to help him or her stop
• If you use tobacco, talk to your child about your struggles with the addiction
• Reward your child for quitting, find something special you can do together to celebrate
• Have your child make a list of reasons to quit
• Be supportive, when attempting to quit the cravings can be quite strong. Encourage your child to take deep breaths, go for a walk, drink something or chew sugarless gum, and talk about how he or she is feeling.

Goetze said parental approval is important to youth. Research suggests that the stronger an adolescent perceives that his or her parents disapprove of the behavior, the less likely the youth is to engage in the behavior. Parents should talk with their children about the dangers of smokeless tobacco use, emphasizing that it is not a safe alternative to cigarette use.

Other findings from the IPRC's latest Annual Survey of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Used by Indiana Children and Adolescents, include:

• One third of Indiana 12th-grade males report having used smokeless tobacco in their lifetime.
• Almost 10 percent of male 12th-graders report daily use of smokeless tobacco.
• Adolescents in the southeast region of the state had the highest usage rates. This area is primarily rural and includes tobacco producing counties.
• White youths have the highest rates of smokeless tobacco use among high school students.

Goetze can be reached at 812-855-1237 and dgoetze@indiana.edu. The IPRC is part of the Department of Applied Health Science in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. For additional resources visit: www.cancer.org or www.indianatobaccoquitline.net. Top