British Dental Health Foundation warns of smokeless tobacco health risk

The British Dental Health Foundation has produced a new leaflet warning people of the potentially harmful effects of smokeless tobacco and its links with oral cancer.

Entitled Tell Me About: Smokeless Tobacco, the leaflet explains the health benefits of giving up smokeless tobacco, as well as offering advice on how to quit.

Recent research shows that the areca nut, a principle ingredient in some forms of smokeless tobacco, is carcinogenic to humans, but these products remain in common use among many, particularly in south-east Asian communities.

Chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation Dr Nigel Carter said: "We encourage all dental practices, particularly those with high ethnic minority patients, to stock this leaflet and help eliminate one of mouth cancer's growing risk factors."

This comes as part of Mouth Cancer Action Month, which is running throughout November and has been organised in partnership with Simplyhealth and Denplan.

Recent Simplyhealth research shows that 70 percent of adults are unaware of the symptoms of oral cancer, despite prevalence of the disease having risen by 50 percent in the last decade.