Dentistry's Role in Ending Spit Tobacco Use

By Joe Garagiola

Article copyright 1998 Journal of the California Dental Association.
Photograph copyright of the author.

Author Joe Garagiola was inducted into the broadcaster's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, after 30 years of announcing baseball games. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals for five seasons, including their 1946 championship year.

As professionals in the field of oral health, you know the dangers of spit tobacco. You've seen what it can do, and you know that many users are paying with their lives. Given that youngsters are quickly becoming the majority of spit tobacco users, it's clear that now is the time to take action against this potentially deadly drug.

Bob Leslie's tragic story is typical of what spit tobacco can do. A young high school baseball coach from Sonoma County in California, he started using spit tobacco when he was 13 and was diagnosed with oral cancer at 27. Radical surgery to remove the tumor was all that could save him; and Bob has lost his chin, bottom teeth and bottom gums. Now 30 and fighting for his life, Bob is helping us spread our message so that what happened to him doesn't have to happen to anyone else.

NSTEP, the National Spit Tobacco Education Program, was founded for just this purpose. Established in 1994 as a program of Oral Health America, NSTEP seeks to alert everyone to the dangers of spit tobacco. We want people to understand that spit tobacco is more than a habit. For many, it's an addiction. NSTEP wants to help people beat that addiction, and we believe that education is the key to success in this effort.

The one-on-one contact that you have with your patients could be an invaluable educational tool. You have the opportunity to alert more users and potential users at the grassroots level than we can ever hope to. NSTEP would like to work hand-in-hand with you in an effort to provide your patients with the information they need to protect themselves. With the help of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we've been able to develop a variety of educational materials -- including posters, brochures and videotapes -- designed for children, young adults, parents and coaches. Materials are available through Oral Health America, and they can be contacted at (312) 836-9900.

Without your help, we're fighting an uphill battle that we can't win. Together, we can make a difference, and maybe one day put an end to spit tobacco addiction and the devastation it causes. At NSTEP that's our dream, and it's Bob Leslie's dream as well. Hopefully you can help us make that dream come true.