What types of tobacco products are there?
There are many kinds of tobacco products, which can be either chewed, smoked or inhaled. The most common forms of tobacco include: • Cigarettes – paper-wrapped tobacco leaves that are smoked, usually through a filtered end. Cigarettes are the most popular tobacco product (47 million Americans smoke cigarettes) and the number one cause of lung disease in the United States. • Cigars – tightly-rolled, unfiltered bundles of tobacco leaves which are lit and smoked. While many users do not inhale the smoke, cigars can still harm the lungs as well as the mouth, gums and throat. • Chewing tobacco – a small tobacco plug that releases flavored tobacco juice when chewed. Using chewing tobacco can seriously harm the mouth, gums and throat. • Snuff – a ground-up, smokeless tobacco product that comes in many different forms and flavors. Users take a small amount of snuff, known as a “dip,†and place it between the cheek and gum. Like chewing tobacco, snuff can cause mouth, gum and throat disease.
