Joseph Chase, Jr. Social Studies The Effects Of Chewing Tobacco The rate of young people chewing tobacco products is rising. Chew can be easily be purchased by anyone of 18 years of age or older. But they must have a form of I.D. to purchase the tobacco though. But the one problem with that is some stores don’t card people as they are suppose to. To start this essay off I’ll start with how expensive chewing can be and stores who don’t card. From personal experience and listening to friends chewing is expensive. Chew like Skoal and Cope range from $4-$5 a can, and stuff like Husky and Timberwolf range from $1-$3 a can. So from what you read it can be expensive. The amount adds up quick for people who chew a can a day. For those people it can cost between $7 and $35 a week. This is between $364 and $1820 a year. This is enough to buy a new vehicle in a few years. Now about stores who don’t card. It is the law to card everyone who would like to buy tobacco products. But some stores don’t card people who look 18 or older. What they don’t know is that they could go to jail for selling tobacco to minors, also someone who buys it for younger kids can lose their license. Now for the effects chewing tobacco can have a person. Chew causes oral cancer, and increases the risk of cancers of the mouth and throat. Oral cancer includes cancers of the lip, tongue, cheek, throat, gums, roof and floor of mouth, and voice box. Surgery to treat oral cancer is often extensive and disfiguring and may involve removing parts of the face, tongue, cheek or lip. Oral cancer, like lung cancer, is associated with low survival rates. On average, half of all oral cancer victims are dead within 5 years of diagnosis.