The negative effects of nicotine are always a major concern in the health world, but it has come to the forefront as of late with the rise of e-cigarettes and public figures suffering the devastating effects of chewing tobacco.
A company called Grinds created a coffee alternative to chewing tobacco that consists of a small pouch of ground coffee that is put right into your mouth. The product is perfect for caffeine addicts who want a direct hit and for people who are addicted to nicotine and want a better alternative.
Similarly to how nicotine gets absorbed into the blood when using dip, caffeine is absorbed through the blood vessels on the surface of the gums where the coffee grounds are placed. Each pouch of grounds has the same amount of caffeine as a quarter cup of coffee, which give users a slight buzz.
The user gets a burst of energy from the coffee ground without the harmful outcomes that come from chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobacco products can cause cancer of the mouth, tongue, cheek, gum, esophagus, stomach and pancreatic cancer. Those who use smokeless tobacco also have an increased risk of heart disease, stoke and heart attacks.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 9 million people over the age of 12 use smokeless tobacco in the U.S.
Grinds' coffee grounds comes in peppermint, mocha and cinnamon roll flavors. It is packaged in similar pouches as chewing tobacco. The product is aimed at that those who are looking to quit chew.
Many people in baseball players are fans of the product. Baseball is a sport that is stereotypically linked to high rates of smokeless tobacco users. While many players have used chew or dip famously throughout their baseball careers, in recent times, many have substituted the bad habit with chewing gum.
MLB pitcher Curt Schilling blamed chewing tobacco for his mouth cancer during a radio interview.
"The pain that I was in going through this treatment, the second or third day it was the only thing in my life that had that I wish I could go back and never have dipped," he adds. "Not once. It was so painful," Schilling says.
Hall of Fame great Tony Gwyn lost his battle with salivary gland cancer this year at the young age of 54. Gwyn also cited his smokeless tobacco habit as the cause of his cancer.
The coffee grinds are a safer alternative to smokeless tobacco for baseball players, but could also be used by those who don't chew. Coffee lovers could skip the sipping and chew their daily caffeine fix straight out of the tin.
Grinds sells the tins in a pack of three for $11.99. Consumers can order up to a 20-pack of tins of one specific flavor for under $70.
