Washington, Dec 3 (ANI): A new American study has found astonishingly high levels of toxic and carcinogenic substances in smokeless tobacco often called moist snuff.

Researchers in Minnesota discovered that moist snuff is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that may cause cancer.

Irina Stepanov and colleagues found that the use of moist snuff surged nearly 80 times between 1986-2003, partly due to the belief that it is safer than smoking cigarettes.

However, smokeless tobacco can cause precancerous oral lesions and oral, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer.

The team examined the PAHs in 23 moist snuff samples from the most popular American brands. They found 23 different PAHs in the samples out of which 9 were carcinogens.

Thus, it was established that PAHs are one of largest groups of cancer-causing substances in moist snuff.

The scientists write: “Urgent measures are required from the U.S. tobacco industry to modify manufacturing processes so that the levels of these toxicants and carcinogens in U.S. moist snuff are greatly reduced.” (ANI)