Also called 'chew', chewing
tobacco is a finely ground form of the tobacco plant. It comes in two main variants:
long cut and
snuff. Snuff has a very small size, generally less than 2mm length. Long cut ranges in size from about 1mm to 8mm in length.
In most cases, the product comes in little round containters called '
tins', though the
Copenhagen brand chew is the only one sold which actually comes in a tin.
To use the product, a pinch of tobacco is placed between the
gums and
teeth and held for a period of time. Snuff, as the name implies, used to be snorted. Most users today, however, place the snuff between gum and cheek. The
US Senate for a number of years maintained a large snuff box in the
Senate chambers, but mainly for historical reasons.
To keep from gagging on the noxious chew juices, most users spit the juices out. Ultra hardcore users will swallow the juice, but this will increase chances of stomach cancer.
Chew can cause
cavities,
ginvitis,
bad breath,
tooth loss, mouth and
throat cancer. The cancers caused by chew are extremenly painful and
disfiguring.
All that aside, chew produces a wonderful nicotine high that's much more intense than that from
cigarettes.
Popular brands of chew include:
Skoal
Copenhagen
Rooster
Kodiak
Red Man
Beechnut
Most chew in this
country is produced by U.S. Tobacco.