Smokes, Chew, and Weed

Smoking hurts more than your lungs. Smoking can cause many oral health problems, including:

• Inflamed gums and mouth tissue
• Tooth decay (cavities)
• Increased plaque
• Bad breath
• Stained teeth
• Decreased sense of smell and taste
• Sensitive teeth
• Oral and throat cancers
• Mouth sores or lesions that do not heal

Smoking tobacco can also lead to:

• Lung cancer
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Premature wrinkles and hair loss
• Impotence
• Yellow fingers
• …and more!

Chew, also known as dip, snuff, or spit tobacco, can cause many oral health problems, including:

• Oral and throat Cancers. Chew is one of the leading causes of oral cancer, as it contains many harmful chemicals that can cause cancer. 
• Sensitive teeth
• Tooth decay (cavities)
• Decreased sense of smell and taste
• Bad breath and stained teeth
• Inflamed gums and mouth tissue
• Mouth sores that don’t heal

How can I protect my mouth from the effects of smokes and chew?

The best way to protect your health is to stop smoking. There are many ways to help you stop smoking – here are just a few:

• Find friends who want to stop smoking too! Most youth who smoke want to stop. Everything is better with friends.
• Reward yourself! Celebrate quitting milestones!
• Talk to a trusted adult (at home? at school? in the community?)
• Avoid places you will be tempted to smoke or think of something else to do (instead of smoking).
• Drink water, take deep breaths, and distract yourself to get through cravings You can also talk to your health care provider or dental care provider about quitting.

Other resources include:

• Break it Off, provides online support as well as a Facebook group and an app
• Smokers’ Helpline, online, text, or phone support to help you stop smoking
• NWquit.com provides supports for tobacco users in Northwestern Ontario who are ready to stop smoking

Weed (inhaled cannabis), also known as marijuana, pot, hash, or dope, can cause many oral health problems, including:

• Dry mouth
• Increased tooth decay (cavities) from a decrease in saliva
• Sensitive teeth
• Damage to gums and other tissues
• Bad breath
• Sore or burning mouth
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, and speaking
• Oral and throat cancers
• Inflamed gums
• Sores in your mouth that don’t heal

How can I protect my mouth from the effects of weed?

Smoking weed directly affects your lungs and mouth. Here are some safer ways to use cannabis:

• The only way to completely avoid the health effects of weed is by choosing not to use it.
• There are safer ways to use weed. Check out The Blunt Truth: Useful tips about safer ways to use cannabis for more great info!
• Try to avoid deeply inhaling or holding your breath when smoking weed to avoid absorbing more toxic materials.
• Try to limit your use as much as possible.
• Choose low-strength products, with lower THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content.