Nicotine:
Nicotine is a highly addictive drug found in all tobacco products: smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco.
Carcinogens:
Over 28 cancer-producing chemicals have been identified in smokeless tobacco.
Sweeteners:
Because tobacco has an unpleasant taste, some brands of smokeless tobacco are heavily sweetened with sugars. This promotes cavities. Flavourings such as mint, licorice or cherry may be added to improve the taste.
Abrasives:
Tobacco leaves contain gritty materials which wear down the surfaces of teeth. These materials also scratch the soft tissues in the mouth, allowing the nicotine and other chemicals to rapidly get into the blood system.
Salt:
Flavouring salts are added to improve the flavour; however they can contribute to abnormal blood pressure.
Other Chemicals:
All tobacco products contain hundreds of other chemicals that can contribute to many health problems.
