February 18, 2016 -- Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Florida — (In preparation for the annual Kick Dip for a Day campaign,) Quit Tobacco-UCanQuit2.org (supporters) encourage smokeless tobacco users to quit and stay quit, (during) the Great American Spit Out, Feb. 18.
Despite the serious health and dental problems that smokeless tobacco can cause, including mouth sores, gum decay, and oral cancer, the smokeless tobacco use rate among military personnel is high compared to the civilian population.
Recent surveys found 12.8 percent of service members use smokeless tobacco compared to 3.6 percent of the U.S adult population.
Not only does smokeless tobacco affect a user’s dental health, it also affects athletic performance by raising pulse and blood pressure (rates).
According to the National Institute of Health, keeping an average-size dip in for 30 minutes provides as much nicotine as smoking three cigarettes. This leads to a strong chemical addiction and extra stress on the heart.
UCanQuit2.org has free resources and support tools to help service members and their families quit smokeless tobacco for good.
Tobacco users can start learning more about their tobacco dependence and proven methods to quit by creating a customized quit plan at UCanQuit2.org/Ready2Quit.
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