Types of Smokeless Tobacco

Chewing tobacco comes in the form of loose leaf, plug, or twist^1,2,3

• Most people who use smokeless tobacco put the product between their cheek and gums and suck or chew on the tobacco.
• The saliva and tobacco juice that form may be spit out or swallowed.⁴
• Smokeless tobacco products may appeal to youth because they come in flavors such as cinnamon, berry, vanilla, and apple.^1,5

Form	Description	Use
Loose leaf	Cured (aged) tobacco, typically sweetened and packaged in foil pouches	Piece taken from pouch and placed between cheek and gums
Plug	Cured tobacco leaves pressed together into a cake or "plug" form and wrapped in a tobacco leaf	Piece taken from pouch and placed between cheek and gums
Twist or roll	Cured (aged) tobacco leaves twisted together like a rope	Piece cut off from twist and placed between cheek and gums

 

Snuff is finely ground tobacco that can be dry, moist, or packaged in pouches or packets (U.S. snus).^4,5

• Some types of snuff are sniffed or inhaled into the nose; 2 other types are placed in the mouth.

Form	Description	Use
Moist	Cured (aged) and fermented tobacco processed into fine particles and often packaged in round cans	Pinch or "dip" is placed between cheek or lip and gums; requires spitting
Dry	Fire-cured tobacco in powder form	Pinch of powder is put in the mouth or inhaled through the nose; may require spitting
U.S snus	Moist snuff packaged in ready-to-use pouches that resemble small tea bags	Pouch is placed between cheek or teeth and gums; does not require spitting

 

Dissolvables are finely ground tobacco pressed into shapes such as tablets, sticks, or strips.¹

• Dissolvable tobacco products slowly dissolve in the mouth.
• These products may appeal to youth because they come in attractive packaging, look like candy or small mints, and can be easily hidden from view.

Form	Description
Lozenges	Resemble pellets or tablets
Orbs	Resemble small mints
Sticks	Have a toothpick-like appearance
Strips	Thin sheets that work like dissolvable breath strips or medication strips

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2012 [accessed 2016 July 12].
2. National Cancer Institute. Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 2: Smokeless Tobacco or Health: An International Perspective. Bethesda (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, 1992 [accessed 2016 July 12].
3. World Health Organization. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Volume 89: Smokeless Tobacco and Some Tobacco-Specific N-Nitrosamines.[PDF–3.18 MB] Lyon (France): World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2007 [accessed 2016 July 12].
4. Mejia AB, Ling PM. Tobacco Industry Consumer Research on Smokeless Tobacco Users and Product Development. American Journal of Public Health 2010;100(1):78–87 [cited 2016 July 12].
5. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Smokeless Tobacco and Kids. [PDF–3.08 MB][accessed 2016 July 12].