SURVEYING SMOKELESS TOBACCO USE, ORAL LESIONS AND CESSATION AMONG HIGH-SCHOOL BOYS

We surveyed 821 Iowa teenage boys to establish patterns of smokeless t obacco use, occurrence of oral lesions and the effect of lesions on at titudes about quitting, current use and plans for future use. Results suggest that young ST users who currently have a lesion or have experi enced lesions may be particularly receptive to discussion of quitting options and other information about ST health effects. Dentists and ot her oral health professionals should initiate ST intervention when est ablishing a lesion history or on discovering a lesion at examination.