Glad to see this one surface. My 23 yr old son thought he was the coolest "cowboy" around with his wad of garbage in his mouth. If he wasn't dipping, he was smoking. If you think overflowing ashtrays are disgusting, try finding spit cups and bottles all over the place.
I'm proud to say he has finally given it all up. Why? You'll love this one......he met a girl..... need I say more? It's not enough for parents, family, friends to say, "you stink". But find the girl of your dreams and there's some powerful motivation!! The girl is no longer around but his quit is strong. Here's an interesting tidbit for us nictoine addicts. The boy said giving up his dip was much, much harder than giving up the smokes. He replaced the oral need with gum, which helped keep his mouth cleaner. Now he brushes and flosses like a pro and treats his body as the temple it is. I'm so pleased he came to his senses. Now he tells me how his mouth stayed tender and sore, his teeth felt loose, food didn't taste "normal".
Please, please keep talking to any youngsters who think dipping is safe. My son has told me the many talks we had on smoking, nicotine and other drug addictions did make a difference--even when I wasn't setting a good example.
Thank goodness for Joel and a forum like Freedom.