DR. WALLACE: Our family was thrilled when my father stopped smoking cigarettes after being addicted to them for over 20 years! He mostly smoked up to two packs of cigarettes per day, and he even lit up a cigar or two every weekend.

But now, Dad has moved on to smokeless tobacco, which he says is much better and safer for him to use. I don't like this either, since he still smells smoky and he spits some really ugly, nasty brown juice in a can about every 20 minutes or so. It's so gross!

Our mom is neither amused nor happy with him, despite the fact that he does not "light up" anymore. She's been telling him that his "smokeless tobacco" might just be more dangerous than the cigarette habit. Is my mom right about this? I sure wish my dad would quit all forms of tobacco. He always smells like a chimney, and I don't want him to die from cancer because of his nasty habits. — Grossed-Out Daughter, via email

GROSSED-OUT DAUGHTER: Smokeless tobacco is just as dangerous as cigarettes are! The danger of smoking cigarettes has been well-publicized for decades now, but similar dangers of smokeless or "spit" tobacco have been far less well-publicized.

Some tobacco companies are taking advantage of this gap in the public perception about chewing tobacco. As smoking continues to be banned in more and more public places in the United States and many foreign countries, tobacco companies are positioning smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco and "snuff" as alternative ways to engage in tobacco use.

"Tobacco of any kind contains nicotine and other harmful chemicals that are addictive and dangerous," according to Patrick Carter, M.D., the chief of family medicine at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston. "It's a misconception that smokeless tobacco products are any safer than cigarettes. In fact, sometimes these products can be even more addictive, as they generally deliver a higher dose of nicotine. A cigarette has about 1.8 mg of nicotine, but an average dose of snuff has about 3.6 mg and chewing tobacco is 4.6 mg."

So based upon these excellent studies, I'd say your father is sadly pulling the wool over his own eyes and those of your family, as well. Your mother is right. As the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic states: "When it comes to the dangers of tobacco use, it doesn't matter whether you smoke it, chew it, or inhale it. There is no safe way to indulge in tobacco use."

Perhaps your mother can convince your father to read through some of this excellent research when he's open to the idea. Tell him that you all love him and care for his health, so you want him to stop using tobacco products entirely.

HOLIDAY TREES SHOULD COME DOWN NOW?

DR. WALLACE: My parents still have our Christmas tree up in the living room of our house, and they still plug it in every night so that the lights can shine and twinkle.

Once Christmas and New Year's Day go by, I think it's past time to take a "Christmas tree" down, but whenever I offer my parents help doing that, they tell me not to worry for a while, as they plan to keep it up a bit longer. I later asked my mom exactly how long they wanted to keep the tree up, and she said she didn't know. Is this normal behavior? Aren't adults supposed to enjoy the holidays and then move on? — Surprised Son, via email

SURPRISED SON: I suspect that your parents have both enjoyed the comfort and familiarity of having a Christmas tree up at this time of year, and given how hard 2020 has been on people around the world, I'm not at all surprised that your folks wish to extend their holiday season a bit longer. I say it's not unusual behavior at all, given the abnormal circumstances we all have been living in lately.

To give you some historical perspectives as well, tradition dictates that the 12th night is the best time to take down all festive decorations, including a tree. It's believed that waiting too long after the 12th night could bring bad luck. This would put the optimal dismantling date around Jan. 5. However, other traditional schools of thought believe that it is bad luck to take down the tree before midnight on New Year's Eve.

In any case, historical superstitions are just quirky ideas repeated over centuries or decades that have no basis in reality. They're interesting to read and hear about but are not based on any scientific facts.

I'm on your parents' side on this issue. They should enjoy their tree and holidays as long as they wish — as long as the tree is moist enough to not become a fire hazard. You can take it upon yourself to check that enough water is still present at the base of the tree to keep it safe and moist for the extended time your parents wish to keep it in place.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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