Great American Spit Out (February 19th, 2026)

Quick facts
When is it?	February 24th, 2022 February 23rd, 2023 February 22nd, 2024 February 20th, 2025 February 19th, 2026 February 25th, 2027
What's the date pattern?	Thursday of Through with the Chew week
Tagged as:	Body & Health Healthcare Helping Others
What's the hashtag?	#GreatAmericanSpitOut
When was it founded?	1970
Who founded it?	Massachusetts
We first published this page on:	Jun 10th, 2024
We last updated this page:	Jan 22nd, 2026

Contents

Many people think smokeless tobacco is safer than smoking, but it’s not. It can cause mouth cancer, gum disease, and other serious health issues.

The Great American Spit Out is a powerful day dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco.

History of Great American Spit Out

The Great American Spit Out started as a campaign to fight smokeless tobacco use. Health groups wanted to spread awareness about its dangers, reduce the number of users, and improve public health.

In the early 2000s, organizations like the U.S. Department of Defense and public health advocates took action. They noticed a rise in chewing tobacco use, especially among young people. To tackle this, they created the Great American Spit Out as part of their larger tobacco prevention efforts.

Each year, this event encourages people to quit smokeless tobacco for a day, with hopes they’ll quit for good. It provides resources and support for those trying to stop.

Over time, the event has grown in popularity and impact. Many schools, workplaces, and communities now participate.

The American Cancer Society has also come on board as a sponsor of the event as the campaign highlights the serious health risks of smokeless tobacco.

It educates the public about issues like mouth cancer and gum disease. By focusing on these dangers, the event aims to reduce tobacco-related illnesses.

This important event continues to be a key part of national tobacco prevention efforts, which also include Through with the Chew and other events. It serves as an important reminder of the risks associated with smokeless tobacco.

Each year, it helps more people make healthier choices and avoid the dangers of tobacco use.

The Great American Spit Out aims to educate the public about these risks and provide support for those trying to quit. Quitting tobacco can improve health and well-being and this event highlights the importance of this action toward better living!

This event encourages users to quit the habit and embrace a healthier lifestyle. It’s a national effort to reduce the use of chewing tobacco and its harmful effects.

Great American Spit Out Timeline

1492

Columbus Reports Indigenous Use of Chewing Tobacco

Christopher Columbus and his crew observe Indigenous Caribbean peoples chewing tobacco leaves, an early European record of smokeless tobacco that foreshadows its spread to Europe and North America.

1909

National Association Opposed to the Further Use of Tobacco Forms

The short‑lived National Association Opposed to the Further Use of Tobacco is founded in New York, reflecting some of the earliest organized American activism against tobacco in all forms, including chewing tobacco.

1964

First U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health

The landmark Surgeon General’s report concludes that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer and other diseases, catalyzing the modern tobacco control movement that later broadens to include smokeless tobacco.

1986

Surgeon General’s Report on Smokeless Tobacco

The U.S. Surgeon General releases a report concluding that smokeless tobacco causes cancer and other serious health problems and is not a safe substitute for smoking, sharply shifting public and medical views.

1986

Warning Labels Mandated on Smokeless Tobacco

Congress passes the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act, requiring rotating health warnings on smokeless tobacco packages and advertisements and restricting certain promotional practices.

How to Celebrate Great American Spit Out

Join a Quitting Challenge

Why not join a quitting challenge? Toss out that can and take part in a community effort. Compete with friends or coworkers to see who can stay tobacco-free the longest.

Celebrate victories together and support each other through tough times.

Host a Spit-Free Party

Throw a spit-free party! Create a fun environment with healthy snacks and activities. Engage guests in games and discussions about the benefits of quitting.

Everyone can have a good time without any tobacco in sight.

Share your quitting journey online. Post updates on social media to inspire others. Use hashtags and join groups focused on quitting smokeless tobacco.

Personal stories can motivate and support others on their path to quitting.

Educate and Advocate

Become an advocate! Distribute pamphlets or host informational sessions about the dangers of smokeless tobacco.

Partner with local schools or community centers to spread the word. The more people you reach, the greater the effect.

The Great American Spit Out offers resources and motivation to help people make a positive change in their lives.

Treat Yourself

Celebrate your decision to quit by treating yourself. Use the money saved from not buying tobacco for something special.

Plan a fun day out or buy that item you’ve been eyeing. Rewarding yourself can reinforce your commitment to staying tobacco-free.

Facts About Great American Spit Out

Oral Cancer Risk From Smokeless Tobacco Is Strongly Dose‑Dependent

Large epidemiological studies have found that smokeless tobacco users face substantially higher risks of oral cancers, and that the danger rises with both frequency and duration of use.

A pooled analysis of U.S. and European case‑control studies reported that long‑term daily users of moist snuff or chewing tobacco had approximately double the risk of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx compared with nonusers, with the highest risk among those who started young and used heavily for decades.

Smokeless Tobacco Delivers Comparable or Higher Nicotine Than Cigarettes

Contrary to the belief that chewing tobacco and snuff are a milder habit, pharmacokinetic research shows that some moist snuff products can deliver as much or more nicotine than cigarettes.

Because the tobacco is held in the mouth for long periods, nicotine is absorbed continuously through the oral mucosa, leading to prolonged elevations in blood nicotine levels and reinforcing dependence even when no smoke is inhaled.

Carcinogenic Nitrosamines Are Central to Smokeless Tobacco’s Cancer Risk

The main cancer‑causing agents in smokeless tobacco are tobacco‑specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), which form during curing, aging, and processing of the leaf.

Laboratory studies have shown that potent TSNAs such as NNN and NNK can bind to DNA and cause mutations in cells of the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas, explaining why these cancers are consistently linked to long‑term use of chewing tobacco and snuff.

Smokeless Tobacco Has Deep Roots in American Military Culture

Historical surveys of U.S. service members show that smokeless tobacco has been used at notably higher rates in the armed forces than in the civilian population, partly because it can be used discreetly where smoking is impractical.

A Department of Defense–funded study in the mid‑2000s found that active‑duty personnel were roughly twice as likely as civilians to use smokeless tobacco, with especially high prevalence among younger enlisted men.

Baseball Helped Normalize Chewing Tobacco in the United States

Smokeless tobacco became intertwined with American baseball culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when players commonly chewed on the field and even used the juice to moisten their gloves.

Historians note that prominent professional players and extensive ballpark advertising helped popularize brands of chewing tobacco, reinforcing the idea that “the chew” was part of the game’s tough, working‑class image for much of the 20th century.

“Snus” and Modern Oral Nicotine Products Complicate Risk Perceptions

While traditional U.S. smokeless products like moist snuff and chew are clearly linked to oral disease, newer items such as Scandinavian‑style snus and tobacco‑free nicotine pouches have muddied public understanding of risk.

Regulatory reviews note that some of these products contain lower levels of carcinogenic nitrosamines than conventional chew, yet still deliver addictive doses of nicotine and can sustain dependence or dual use with cigarettes instead of complete quitting.

Smokeless Tobacco Use Is Concentrated in Specific U.S. Regions and Groups

National survey data show that smokeless tobacco use in the United States is not evenly distributed: it is highest among men, people living in rural areas, and residents of the South and Midwest.

The CDC has reported that non‑Hispanic white men, especially those with lower incomes or less formal education, use smokeless tobacco at several times the rate of the general adult population, underscoring how social and geographic factors shape this particular form of tobacco addiction.

Great American Spit Out FAQs

Is smokeless tobacco safer than smoking cigarettes?

Major health organizations report that smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking.

It delivers nicotine and many carcinogens through the lining of the mouth, which increases the risk of oral cancers, gum disease, tooth loss, and nicotine addiction.

Although the pattern of disease differs from cigarette smoking, smokeless products still cause serious health problems.

What health problems are most strongly linked to smokeless tobacco use?

Research links smokeless tobacco to cancers of the mouth, tongue, cheek, gums, and throat, as well as leukoplakia, receding gums, tooth decay, and tooth loss.

Chemicals absorbed into the bloodstream can also contribute to heart disease and stroke and may worsen complications in people with diabetes or high blood pressure.

Why do some people think chewing tobacco is less harmful than other tobacco products?

Some people assume that because smokeless tobacco is not inhaled into the lungs, it must be safer than cigarettes. Marketing that associates these products with sports, outdoor lifestyles, or masculinity has reinforced that perception.

Health agencies emphasize that while smokeless tobacco may cause fewer lung problems, it still delivers addictive nicotine and raises the risk of serious oral and cardiovascular diseases.

How is quitting smokeless tobacco different from quitting smoking?

Both involve overcoming nicotine addiction, but smokeless tobacco users often keep products in their mouth for long periods, which can create frequent and strong behavioral cues tied to certain activities.

The physical withdrawal from nicotine is similar to quitting cigarettes, yet people who use smokeless tobacco sometimes underestimate the challenge because the habit is less visible and may be more accepted in some settings.

Can nicotine replacement therapy help people who use smokeless tobacco?

Clinical guidelines indicate that nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches, gum, or lozenges, can help smokeless tobacco users manage cravings and withdrawal.

These medications provide controlled doses of nicotine without the toxic chemicals found in tobacco itself and are most effective when combined with counseling or behavioral support and used under the guidance of a health professional.

Why is smokeless tobacco use a concern in military and veteran communities?

Studies show that smokeless tobacco use is more common among some groups of service members and veterans than in the general population, partly because it can be used where smoking is restricted and may be seen as a way to cope with stress or long hours.

This pattern contributes to higher rates of oral disease, dental treatment needs, and long-term risks such as cancer and heart disease, which military and veteran health programs work to reduce.

What kinds of support have been shown to help people stop using smokeless tobacco?

Evidence suggests that combining behavioral counseling with medications such as nicotine replacement therapy or prescription cessation drugs improves quit rates for smokeless tobacco users.

Telephone quitlines, text programs, and group counseling offer practical strategies for coping with triggers, building motivation, and preventing relapse, and are often available at low or no cost through public health and health care systems.