Dipping tobacco, traditionally referred to as moist snuff, is a type of finely ground or shredded, moistened smokeless tobacco product. It is commonly and idiomatically known by various terms – most often as dip and sometimes rub or chew. The act of using it is called dipping, packing or more specifically packing a lip, packing a lipper, and less commonly packing an upper decker when one uses their upper lip to use the tobacco. Dip is colloquially called "chew" or "snuff", among other terms; because of this, it is sometimes confused with other tobacco products – for example chewing tobacco

Chewing tobacco

Chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco (also known colloquially as hoobastank, backy, tobac, doogooos,Hogleg, chewpoos, chits, chewsky, chawsky, dip, flab, chowers, guy, or a wad, as well as referred to as dipsky, snuff, a pinch, a yopper, a Packing a bomb, a tobbackey or packing a...

 or dry snuff, respectively.

Dipping tobacco was initially introduced as a variation of the historically Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 oral tobacco, snus

Snus

Snus , or Swedish snuff, is a moist powder tobacco product originated from a variant of dry snuff in the early 19th century in Sweden, consumed by placing it under the lip for extended periods of time. The precursor of snus, the dry form of snuff inhaled through the nose, was introduced in Europe...

, that was brought to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 by Swedish immigrants

Swedish emigration to the United States

During the Swedish emigration to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries, about 1.3 million Swedes left Sweden for the United States...

 in the early 19th century. In modern times, it is still largely relegated to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, where moist snuff is most popular among the blue-collar working class

Working class

Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...

 in parts of Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and especially the Southern

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

 and Midwestern United States

Midwestern United States

The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....

.

Traditionally speaking, dipping tobacco is used in a manner similar or nearly identical to snus, in which instead of literally chewing on tobacco, a small clump, or quid (or in some cases a tobacco-filled pouch), of the shredded product is "pinched" out of the can and placed between the lip and the gum. (However, unlike snus, which is most often placed between the upper lip and gum, dip users or "dippers" tend to use the lower. Dipping in the upper lip is unusual, though when done, it is colloquially termed an "upper decker".) The dip rests on the inside lining of the mouth usually for a period depending upon the user's preference, usually 10 to 30 minutes. Nicotine

Nicotine

Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...

 is absorbed buccally and/or sublingually by the inferior or superior labial arteries.

Unlike snus, dip often causes the user to produce excess saliva during the act of dipping. This is typically expectorated onto the ground or in a container, because swallowing can cause irritation to the esophagus

Esophagus

The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...

, and induce nausea and vomiting. However, long-time users can swallow the tobacco-saliva with no ill effects. This is also called "gutting" the snuff. Smokeless tobacco is sometimes used in the workplace by employees, especially if the employer does not provide many cigarette breaks, or, if the employee is constantly using both hands during work (which doesn't provide opportunities for cigarette smoking

Cigarette

A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...

). Smokeless tobacco is popular in many industrial areas where there is a safety risk in having an open flame such as oil rigs or refineries.

Etymology and terminology

Dipping tobacco was first popularized and marketed as moist snuff in the 1800s. The term "snuff" in this context is an English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 cognate

Cognate

In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...

 of the aforementioned "snus", from the Swedish

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

. Dipping tobacco's Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

n roots impart a noticeable legacy on modern American brands such as Copenhagen (the capital city

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

 of Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

) and Skoal (referring to the interlinguistic term skål, which in Norwegian

Norwegian language

Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...

, Danish

Danish language

Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...

 and Swedish roughly translates to "cheers" or implies a toast.

"Dip" or "dipping tobacco" was first known as such in the 20th century, the phrase referring to the way in which the product is most often essentially dipped into the lower lip. However many brands still advertise themselves as "moist snuff", simply "snuff" or sometimes vaguely as "smokeless tobacco

Smokeless tobacco

Smokeless Tobacco may refer to:* Dipping tobacco, a type of tobacco that is placed between the lower or upper lip and gums.* Chewing tobacco, a type of tobacco that is chewed.* Snuff, a type of tobacco that is insufflated or "snuffed" through the nose....

".

The cultural aspects of dipping tobacco are noticeable in the myriad of expressions used to describe dipping tobacco and other actions or situations associated with it.

Cut sizes

The difference between cut sizes are the length of the strands of tobacco.

• Extra Long Cuts are a little bit longer than long cut and sits very comfortably in the mouth
• Long cuts are easiest to pack and keep comfortably in the mouth.
• Mid cuts are comparable to small granules at about 1 mm cubed.
• Fine cuts are slightly larger than sand or coffee grounds.
• Snuffs are the granular size of fine dirt or sand. Extremely small cut.
• Pouches hold fine cut or snuff tobacco in a small, teabag-like pouch. They are less messy because the tobacco won't fall out of one's fingers and mouth. Dipping tobacco in pouches resemble snus "portions", but the difference between these two products lies in the way the tobacco is processed. Dipping tobacco (including pouched products) undergoes fermentation, whereas tobacco in snus is pasteurized.

Health issues

Cancerous effects

Dipping tobacco can cause fatal oral cancers and tooth loss.
Some cancers include the following: Tongue cancer, lip cancer, cheek cancer, gum cancer, throat cancer, and cancer in the roof and floor of the mouth. In some cases it has been known to cause cancer within only a few years of use. Gruen Von Behrens, now a public speaker against the product, started using dipping tobacco at age 13 only to be diagnosed with mouth cancer at 17. He started noticing signs of cancer at age 16 however.

Cardiovascular effects

Studies are inconclusive as to how significantly smokeless tobacco affects users' cardiovascular system

Circulatory system

The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...

s, but it has been studied that it may have more nicotine than cigarettes. One study states that, "Although the evidence is not conclusive, the adverse cardiovascular effects of smokeless tobacco use are less than those caused by smoking but are more than those found in non-users." Other studies also indicate that smokeless tobacco related cardiovascular risks are lower than that of smoked tobacco. One study states that smokeless tobacco use has a "positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors in young physically fit men."
However, it is important to note that one India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n study from the state of Rajasthan states, "There is a significantly greater prevalence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors [sic] obesity, resting tachycardia, hypertension, high total and LDL cholesterol, and low HDL cholesterol, and electrocardiographic changes in tobacco users, chewing or smoking, as compared-to tobacco non-users. Chewing tobacco is associated with similar cardiovascular risk as smoking." This finding may bear on the possibility that smokeless tobacco in India is produced differently than in Western

Western world

The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...

 countries.

Due to contrasting results in studies, many conclude that further research should be done on the cardiovascular risks of smokeless tobacco.

Addiction potential

Smokeless tobacco contains nicotine

Nicotine

Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...

, which is the primary reinforcing agent.

According to European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 policy, Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

n or some American smokeless tobaccos are at least 90% less hazardous than cigarette smoking. However, the habit is still addictive.

Taxation and restriction of smoking is causing more smokeless tobacco use as "substitution." There are active public health debates regarding risk-reduction for smokers and the reconsideration of smokeless tobacco risks. "...There is a substantial body of informed and independent opinion that sees the value of harm reduction strategies based on smokeless tobacco." Most of these studies are supported by the makers of smokeless tobacco.

Additives

There are few reports confirming what additives smokeless tobacco contains, and it is very likely that brands vary in the kinds and amounts of additives used. There is a widespread urban myth fact that fiberglass is added to smokeless tobacco to increase the efficiency of nicotine absorption. Although small, glass-like particles can be seen in snus

Snus

Snus , or Swedish snuff, is a moist powder tobacco product originated from a variant of dry snuff in the early 19th century in Sweden, consumed by placing it under the lip for extended periods of time. The precursor of snus, the dry form of snuff inhaled through the nose, was introduced in Europe...

, this may be due to the formation of salt crystals.

The addition of glass to dipping tobacco would not be beneficial for increasing nicotine delivery, as bleeding and inflammation would be likely to reduce the uptake of nicotine. The amount of nicotine absorbed can be controlled by different cutting of the tobacco, increasing the nicotine concentration and raising the pH

PH

In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...

 of the tobacco by adding various salts. An alkaline pH causes more nicotine to be absorbed, especially the free, unprotonated form, but is irritating to the mucosa. Nicotine itself can also irritate the mucosa.

Common brands

• Grizzly
  Grizzly (tobacco)
  Grizzly is an American brand of dipping tobacco first made in 1782 and currently made by the American Snuff Company. It is available in pouches, Fine Cut, Long Cut, and Extra Long Cut. All Grizzly varieties are packaged in a 1.2 oz black plastic container with a metal lid. Depending on the cut,...
  
   - Snuff, Long Cut, Mint, Straight, Wintergreen, Wells, natural,
• Copenhagen - Snuff, Straight, Black, Smooth Hickory(Cope), Whiskey Blend(Cope), Wintergreen, Long Cut, Natural Extra Long Cut, Pouches, Straight(Cope)
• Husky - Straight, Natural, Mint, Wintergreen
• Kodiak
  Kodiak tobacco
  Kodiak is a brand of dipping tobacco manufactured by American Snuff Company, a U.S. smokeless tobacco manufacturer that also produces the Grizzly tobacco and Levi Garrett brands...
  
   - Straight, Mint, Wintergreen
• Red Seal
  U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company
  U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company manufactures dipping tobacco and is a subsidiary of Altria.Its corporate headquarters are located in Stamford, Connecticut, and it maintains factories in Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee, Franklin Park, Illinois, and Hopkinsville, Kentucky.Copenhagen and Skoal...
  
   - Natural, Wintergreen, Mint, Straight
• Skoal - Xtra Rich, Xtra Crisp, Xtra Mint, Xtra Wintergreen, Straight, Mint, Wintergreen, Apple, Cherry, Berry, Citrus, Peach, Spearmint, Edge Wintergreen, Vanilla
• Timber Wolf
  Swedish Match
  Swedish Match is a Swedish company based in Stockholm that makes snus, tobacco, cigars , Red Man Chewing Tobacco, dipping tobacco, matches and lighters. It was founded as Svenska Tändsticksaktiebolaget by Ivar Kreuger in 1917 in Jönköping...
  
   - Natural, Straight, Cool Wintergreen, Wintergreen, Apple, Mint, Peach
• Kayak - Apple, Peach, Mint, Grape, Straight, Wintergreen
• Longhorn - Mint, Straight, Wintergreen
• Red Man
  Red Man
  Red Man is a leading brand of chewing tobacco in the United States, produced since 1904. Red Man has traditionally come as leaf tobacco, in contrast to twist chewing tobacco or the ground tobacco used in snuff, and became a leader in that form of oral/dental/mouth tobacco. It is made by the...
  
   - Straight, Natural, and Wintergreen
• Stoker's - Mint, Wintergreen, Natural, Straight
• Klondike - Straight, Peppermint, Wintergreen
• Wolfpack - Pouches, Natural (very potent)

Uncommon brands

• Warrior
• Rene
• redwood
• Silver Creek
• Cooper
• Cougar
• Gold River
• Tomahawk
• Silverado
• Rooster
• Happy Days
• Dukes
• Revved Up Energy Dip
• Bobcat
• Predator
• Bruton
• Snepps
• Tahoe
• Marlboro
• Camel
• Red Rooster Tobacco
• Stokers (Tubs of dip)
• Hawken

Legality

Based on studies at the time was believed to be a strong association with cancer and a fairly low usage outside of North America and , several countries have banned the sale (and in some cases the import) of dipping tobacco. Sale of dipping tobacco was banned in Australia and New Zealand in 1986 and in most of the EU nations in 1992. Sweden was exempt from this ban because of the traditionally high usage of snus

Snus

Snus , or Swedish snuff, is a moist powder tobacco product originated from a variant of dry snuff in the early 19th century in Sweden, consumed by placing it under the lip for extended periods of time. The precursor of snus, the dry form of snuff inhaled through the nose, was introduced in Europe...

 in that country.

In the USA it is illegal to sell dip to persons under the age of 18 (except in Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey, Utah, and the Counties of Suffolk

Suffolk County, New York

Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...

 and Nassau

Nassau County, New York

Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...

 in New York State where the age requirement is 19).

Companies are now required to place very large warning labels that comprise at least twenty percent of all advertisements and thirty percent of two principal display panels on each tin.

Taxation

In the United States, the federal government taxes dipping tobacco at $0.5033 per pound or $0.0315 per ounce tin or pouch. Excise taxes are also levied at the state level (Pennsylvania being the only exception), and in some instances, at the local level. Sales tax is also applied to the full retail price of dipping tobacco in most jurisdictions.

See also

• Herbal dipping tobacco
• Smoking cessation
  Smoking cessation
  Smoking cessation is the process of discontinuing the practice of inhaling a smoked substance. This article focuses exclusively on cessation of tobacco smoking; however, the methods described may apply to cessation of smoking other substances that can be difficult to stop using due to the...
  
  
• Snus
  Snus
  Snus , or Swedish snuff, is a moist powder tobacco product originated from a variant of dry snuff in the early 19th century in Sweden, consumed by placing it under the lip for extended periods of time. The precursor of snus, the dry form of snuff inhaled through the nose, was introduced in Europe...
  
  
• Tobacco industry
  Tobacco industry
  The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all...
  
  
• Tobacco products
  Tobacco products
  After tobacco has been processed, it is used to produce a number of different products.- Chewing tobacco :Chewing is one of the oldest ways of consuming tobacco leaves. Native Americans in both North and South America chewed the fresh leaves of the plant, frequently mixed with lime. Modern chewing...
  
  

External links

• Smokeout: Not as easy as ABC - Commentary - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
• Effect of smokeless tobacco (snus) on smoking and public health in Sweden
• Tobacco harm reduction: an alternative cessation strategy for inveterate smokers. By Brad Rodu and William T. Godshall, published in December 2006 in Harm Reduction Journal.
• SnusOn Community - The world's largest forum community centered around Swedish snus and smokeless tobacco. Contains reviews,tutorials, information and discussions.
• Snus Authority - A blog dedicated to snus, snuff, and other forms of smokeless tobacco.