Dipping Tobacco - History

History

Dipping tobacco was initially introduced as a variation of the historically Swedish oral tobacco, snus, that was brought to the United States by Swedish immigrants in the early 19th century. In modern times, it is still largely relegated to North America, where moist snuff is most popular among the blue-collar working class in parts of Canada and especially the Southern and Midwestern United States.

Before first opening the tin, users typically "pack the tin", similar to how cigarette smokers pack a pack of cigarettes. This is done by placing one's thumb and index finger on the top and bottom of the tin, respectively and then quickly turning the tin so that one's index finger taps the tin. The use of chewing tobacco among youths has been increasing since 1970 (Boyle, Claxton, & Forster, 1997). Chewing tobacco is called “smokeless tobacco,” with other popular terms such as “snuff” and “chew” referring to how the tobacco product is processed. Snuff is finely ground tobacco often placed between the lip and gums. Chew is a more coarsely shredded tobacco, commonly placed between the check and gums (Hirschfelder, 1999). The majority of young adolescents using chewing tobacco are Caucasian, male, and from a rural area (Newman, 1999). Each year approximately 824,000 young people aged 11 to 19 years in the United States.(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" or an "Up Deck Lip Snack".) 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 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 spat onto the ground or in a container, because swallowing can cause irritation to the esophagus 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). 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.