Hints from Heloise: The health risks associated with chewing tobacco

Dear Heloise: My son and some of his friends have taken up chewing tobacco, which I find disgusting. My son is 18, and his friends are all around his age. While he knows smoking is a health hazard, he firmly believes that chewing tobacco is safe, but something tells me that it's not.

Do you know anything about chewing tobacco and smoking those artificial cigarettes? - Dottie G., Casper, Wyoming

Dottie, there really is no easy way to say this, but chewing tobacco has some terrible effects on people who chew it for a long time. Your son's use of chewing tobacco may just be a passing interest - and I hope it is because there is a high risk of mouth cancer.

According to the Mayo Clinic, cancer of the mouth or throat will involve major surgery of the jaw, mouth and/or tongue. This is a rapidly spreading cancer, and doctors try to catch it before it reaches the throat. It increases the heart rate, and long-term use can lead to heart disease. It also raises blood pressure.

The sugars and irritants in smokeless tobacco cause cavities, stain the teeth, and cause gum recession and bone loss around the root of the tooth.

If anyone wants to quit using tobacco but are having a difficult time quitting, you can call a few smoke cessation hotlines at 800-448-7848 or 800-784-8669 to find help in your own state. - Heloise

Dear Heloise: When making peanut butter sandwiches, my mother used to put mayo on the bread, then peanut butter and pickle slices. I never liked the taste of jelly sandwiches. Also, crisp bacon on a peanut butter sandwich is fabulous! - Lee K., Colleyville, Texas

Dear Heloise: It's difficult to refocus our language, but please be an agent of change and focus on health rather than associating aging and health (this can be for any age), which perpetuates stereotypes and the message of the value of youth over a healthy life.

I love your column, and this isn't a scold but a reminder that we all need to support each other in changing our mindsets and having a healthier outlook. - A Reader, via email

Reader, more people today focus on health issues than ever before. Just 20 years ago, many people smoked, and it was the norm. Now only a few are lighting up, and there's help available for those who are having a hard time quitting.

Life expectancy between 1991 and 2016 increased from 75.5 years to 78.6 years. More people are going to the gym to work out than they did in the '50s, '60s and '70s. In the past 10 years, gray hair has become fashionable, and clothing manufacturers have finally woken up to the "over 50′′ market of shoppers.

The increase in tiny homes fits the lifestyle of many boomers who want to decrease the burden of having a much larger home. So, I'd have to say, we are doing better healthwise and accepting the people in our population who are no longer young.

Is there room for improvement? Sure, there is, but it takes time and effort. - Heloise

(c) 2024 by King Features Syndicate Inc.