Dipping tobacco is a type of finely ground or shredded, moistened smokeless tobacco product. It is commonly and idiomatically known as dip. Dipping tobacco is used by placing a pinch, or "dip", of tobacco between the lip and the gum (sublabial administration). The act of using it is called dipping. Dipping tobacco is colloquially called chaw, snuff, rub, or fresh leaf, among other terms; because of this, it is sometimes confused with other tobacco products, namely dry snuff.
Using dipping tobacco can cause various harmful effects such as oral, oesophageal, and pancreatic cancers, coronary heart disease, as well as negative reproductive effects including stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight. Dipping tobacco poses a lower health risk than traditional combusted products, however, it is not a healthy alternative to cigarette smoking. The level of risk varies between different types of products and producing regions. There is no safe level of dipping tobacco use. Globally it contributes to 650,000 deaths each year.
