Health - Chewing gum while smoking cigarettes causes throat cancer?

[~lostgurl~]

Somebody once told me that chewing gum while smoking cigarettes causes throat cancer, does anyone know if there is any truth to this? The reasoning had to do with swallowing saliva that has nicotine/tar residue on it (during the smoking of a cigarette, with extra saliva being created by the chewing gum)

It makes sense, but if this were true one would think that the public would be well informed, but I only heard this theory once, and it was years ago, So I'm assuming it is incorrect?

Something else I've always wondered about with throat cancer is that unlike lung cancer (which usually presents itself in 60-80 year olds, particularly those who have smoked cigarettes for generations) Throat Cancer is appearing in much younger age groups (ie 30-40 year olds) who have sometimes smoked cigarettes for less than 10 years.

So connecting the dots (that may or may not even be there!) does anyone think that chewing gum, (which is much more popular with younger generations) could be affecting the age of onset for Throat Cancer?

...........I could be way off with these theories, especially as they are based on what someone? told me a long, long time ago.............

[Alicia]

Throat cancer is also caused by heavy drinking as well as the tobacco smoking swia has not heard anything specifically from chewing gum while smoking that more likely would cause more risk to mouth cancer.
While tobacco and nicotine are carcinogenic in there own right, its seems to be made worse by heavy alcohol consumption, Ie whiskey , shot after shot. Throat cancer is also one more common in tobacco pipe smokers as well and mouth cancer is also associated heavy alcohol consumption and has been on an increase in younger people in the uk due to alcohol increase and tobacco as would play apart in the factor as well. including diet. hope that helps..

[~lostgurl~]

Originally Posted by Alicia

Throat cancer is also caused by heavy drinking as well as the tobacco smoking swia has not heard anything specifically from chewing gum while smoking that more likely would cause more risk to mouth cancer.
While tobacco and nicotine are carcinogenic in there own right, its seems to be made worse by heavy alcohol consumption, Ie whiskey , shot after shot. Throat cancer is also one more common in tobacco pipe smokers as well and mouth cancer is also associated heavy alcohol consumption and has been on an increase in younger people in the uk due to alcohol increase and tobacco as would play apart in the factor as well. including diet. hope that helps..

Well that makes sense, common denominator in both alcohol and chewing gum is swallowing more of something during the smoking of a cigarette (where as food would be eaten before or after but not during a cigarette) Hmmm, but on the other hand alcohol a documented cause, chewing gum not a documented cause so more than likely not even a cause.

[dnb warrior]

have you tried chewing gum while smoking a cigarette? its not much fun

Reputation Comments on this post:

Cutting and astute.

[thecowman]

swim heard that when you chew gum and smoke the smoke particles become stuck in the gum and as you chew theyre continously rubbing against your mouth. Swim heard this about a year ago and hasnt chewed and smoked since.

[Akewstick]

have you tried chewing gum while smoking a cigarette? its not much fun

Lol. This was exactly SWIM's thought: regardless of what it may or may not mean for your throat, why the fuck would you be doing it in the first place?

[Wflash]

Well believe it or not SWIM just signed on to post the self same question and found it already here.

He's only been hearing this said to him over the last year or so, but he's always smoked a lot and often while chewing gum (I quite like it - but then some folk like menthol cigarettes).

Maybe time to go and see what Google has to say about it.

[pickledsheep]

SWIM's girlfriend enjoys doing both seperately, and finds combining them to be even more rewarding. Not something i enjoy doing but then again whose to judge. I couldn't imagine chewing gum while smoking to cause enough extra saliva to make a large enough difference to allow throat cancer to develop that much quicker.

[darkglobe]

I don't know, or even care, but what some dude above said about carcinogens getting embedded in the gum and making constant contact sort of seems feasible.

It tastes like shit anyway.

[coldturkeystop]

I smoke and chew gum together, allll the time. it is not difficult at all or maybe I am just used to it. my friends do it as well. I chew alot of gum to get rid of smokers breath. I am hooked on trident, the only gum that i chew, ever!!

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by Akewstick

Lol. This was exactly SWIM's thought: regardless of what it may or may not mean for your throat, why the fuck would you be doing it in the first place?

I used to do it from time to time as with a good strong gum it can feel like you are smoking a menthol, lol. Sometimes if you have Marlboro 27s or some other cigarette that starts tasting bad after you have been smoking more than a few of them the gum can make the taste more bearable.

That said, in retrospect the whole idea seems pretty stupid. Then again, the whole idea of smoking seems stupid now, so I'd better just stay out of this thread.

[tayo]

It makes some sense, like with dipping tobacco if swiy swallows it, the risk of esophageal cancer from TSNA's (tobacco specific nitros-amines), which are the carcinogens in tobacco.... so if swiy begins swallow the saliva with smoke in it, which the saliva from chewing gum is usually swallowed.

or there might just be a connection to smoking and people not spitting, or having a place to spit (indoors)

it's likely the tsna's not nicotine because a study on swedish men that use Snus(steam cured) (99% less TSNAs vs. american dipping tobacco) and swallow saliva, by the WHO was inconclusive to whether or not it caused any form of mouth or throat cancer. but the WHO's study on american dipping tobacco(fire cured) users was conclusive to cause mouth and throat cancer, so by swallowing TSNAs there is more risk for throat cancer.

the reason they tell you not to eat the black parts of bbq meats are because those chunks are concentrated nitrosamines... thats why "burnt food with black stuff can cause cancer"