Does using smokeless tobacco to quit smoking sound like a bad idea? The American Dental Association's (ADA) Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations thinks so.

"The Council is opposed to the use of smokeless tobacco as an alternative to cigarettes or as a smoking cessation technique," said Wallin E. McMinn, D.D.S., M.P.H., council chairman.

The Council's recent statement is the latest in a long series of measures the ADA is taking to warn the public about the dangers of using tobacco products. The ADA also urges Congress and the Food and Drug Administration to declare nicotine an addictive substance, which would require stricter regulation.

In addition to increasing the risk for oral cancer (30,000 new cases are diagnosed each year), smokeless tobacco use can cause gum destruction and tooth abrasion.