Loose Leaf Chew

COMMON NAMES:

Chewing tobacco, spit tobacco

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF USE:

United States

PRODUCT CONSTITUENTS:

Leaf tobacco, sweetener, and/or licorice

HOW USED:

A piece of tobacco 0.75 to 1 inch in diameter is placed between the cheek and lower lip, typically toward the back of the mouth. It is either chewed or held in place. Saliva is spit or swallowed.

WHO USES:

In 2000, U.S. prevalence of current (used within the past 30 days) smokeless tobacco use (includes both snuff and chewing tobacco) for those 12 years old and over was 3.4%: 6.5% of males and 0.5% of females.

PROCESSING / MANUFACTURING:

Commercially manufactured. Loose cigar tobacco leaves are air-cured, then stemmed, cut or granulated and loosely packed to form small strips of shredded tobacco. Most brands are sweetened and flavored with licorice. Typically sold in pouches weighing about 3 ounces. Loose-leaf tobacco has a high average sugar content (approximately 35%).