Teens chewing tobacco in school

According to some local teenagers, it's cool to chew tobacco at school.
So now, administrators at the Greece Central School District are cracking down on it, saying it’s not happening on school grounds. If students are caught chewing tobacco, they face a five day suspension. The district says the rules also apply to staff members and visitors. They want it to be a tobacco free zone.

Within this school year, Greece Odyssey caught five different boys chewing tobacco on school grounds. The district says they started investigating, and found out that students and their families don't understand that chewing tobacco is bad for your health. But doctors say it's just as bad as lighting a cigarette. Administrators sent a letter home to all parents in the Greece Central School District, warning parents that if their child is caught using tobacco on school grounds, they'll be suspended for five days.

Health officials at the American Cancer Society say there’s reason for concern because chewing becomes more than a habit, it becomes an addiction. Doctor Scott Mcintosh says chewing tobacco has at least thirty cancer causing chemicals in it, and here's the worst part:

“Kids become addicted to it, and then turn to cigarettes or continue using chewing tobacco as adults, says Dr. Scott Mcintosh.

The doctor says boys are starting to use chew in middle school, at 11 and 12-years-old.

And nationally, 11% of high school boys are chewing. He says the earlier they start, the less likely they are to stop.

source: www.whec.com