Tobacco.org

Effort under way to reduce number of smokeless-tobacco users 

FAIRMONT -- Adult men in the state of West Virginia have the second highest rate of using smokeless-tobacco products, at 16.6 percent, behind only Wyoming.

Add in high school males and, according to some statistics, West Virginia then becomes the state with the highest usage rate, according to Bruce Adkins, director of the state Division of Tobacco Prevention (www.wvdtp.org).

"All smokeless tobacco are highly addictive and can lead to lifelong nicotine addiction and dependence," Adkins said. "And adolescents who first use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers."

In an effort to reduce the number of smokeless-tobacco users, the Division of Tobacco Prevention has 10 $5,000 mini-grants to distribute among the state's 10 regions as part of the "Save Face-Stop Spit Tobacco" campaign.

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