Dunnville for Flavour Gone Campaign.

Mitchell Patterson

                Chew, Chew, Chew; it might sound like chewing gum, and might smell like it as well because of

its new fruity flavours like mango and blueberry, but it isn't chewing gum, it's chewing tobacco. “We have noticed that this trend of chewing tobacco has become larger, and within DSS,” Donna McMahon,

guidance councilor and head of the Panthers Take Charge (PTC), said when noticing that more and more

kids are into the habit of chewing tobacco. The reason might be that chewing tobacco now comes in

many different flavours giving it a more satisfying taste, and candy like packaging, attracting young

students; but, it still has the same side effects such as cancer in the areas of the mouth and throat. In

response, McMahon and the PTC team took action, and joined the “Flavour Gone campaign,” which is

going on all around Canada, funded by the Health Unit. The Purpose of it is to petition the government

to stop the chewing tobacco companies to stop adding the flavours. On Wednesday, May 2^nd, which was

Grade 8 day at DSS, the PTC team went around the school, handing out petitions for students, teachers,

faculty, and future students of DSS to sign. To get attention, the team all wore these coloured body suits

called Morphsuits at the same time as they handed out petitions. “We are

hoping to raise awareness, and keep kids off chew, because we want them to know that it’s very

harmful towards their lives,” responded McMahon, after counting up to 6 sheets of signatures. “We will

be sending the petitions off to the Health Unit on Monday, May 7^th, where they will be sent to the

government, and hopefully chewing tobacco will lose its fruity flavor.”