Ansted Middle participates in various RAZE activities

Local News

March 17, 2008

By Steve Keenan

Ansted Middle School took its best shot at spreading the message against spit tobacco on the recent Through With Chew Day.

The simple mission of the RAZE-sponsored event was to “try to show how disgusting spit tobacco is,” said Dale Fox, advisor of the RAZE chapter at AMS.

Mission accomplished, said eighth-grader Chance Pettey, who was one of several students who gnawed on a prune-based concoction meant to resemble spit tobacco during the event.

“It was disgusting; it was hard to keep it in your mouth,” Pettey said.

Pettey said he’s never tried spit tobacco, and he doesn’t recommend it.

“You may think it looks cool, but you don’t look good at all when you’re doing it. It’s very unhealthy, and the effects can be horrible.”

“Most people who get cancer of the mouth … don’t survive,” Fox told his students.

The AMS RAZE chapter has been active this year, Fox said. In addition to several other projects, the chapter participated in a tobacco-free day on the state level in early March.

— E-mail: skeenan@register-herald.com