Two Kinds of Poison

Question: I’ve never tried chewing tobacco, but I have tried smoking, and I know that it’s bad. Looking back, I think I would have been better off if I chewed. If a person is going to do one or the other, which would you say would at least be less harmful than the other?

Answer: What you are doing is debating the relative risks of two kinds of poison, and all I can tell you is that both poisons can kill you. In some respects, smokeless tobacco appears to be more addictive and has a higher concentration of dangerous chemicals than do cirarettes.

With cigarettes, these chemicals are absorbed through the lungs, then enter the blood and are distributed throughout the body. With smokeless tobacco, the chemicals are absorbed through the mouth and stomach, a process that takes somewhat longer.