Chewing Tobacco and Baseball

Jackie Robinson was the first Afrcian-American baseball player to join major league baseball on this day in 1947. Many boys begin using chewing tobacco when they join baseball teams, particularly in high school. Researchers believe that boys are influenced by watching pro baseball players chew.

 It is a myth that chewing tobacco is healthier than cigarettes. Half of high school boys who use chewing tobacco develop white pre-cancerous white patches in their mouth. Chewing tobacco can harm your health because it contains toxins, which can cause gum disease. Other possible oral health impacts of tobacco products include: stained teeth and tongue; dulled sense of taste and smell; slow healing after a tooth extraction or other surgery; difficulties in correcting cosmetic dental problems; and oral cancer. Click here to take a quiz and see how much you know about the effects of tobacco on your oral health.

Baseball is much more fun without oral health problems. Skip the tobacco and hit a home run for your health!


For more information on risks of chewing tobacco and other oral health concerns, visit www.mouthhealthy.org.
Full article and more information on Jackie Robinson's amazing career available here.
More info on tobacco and links to baseball available here.