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City-County Health and reACT Working to Curb Spit Tobacco Use in Schools

By Steve Newton

Story Created: Feb 21, 2012 at 7:58 PM MDT

Story Updated: Feb 22, 2012 at 12:04 AM MDT

Tobacco use is a problem in almost every high school.

"I think it's a major problem with the high schools," said Ember Hunter, a Great Falls student and reACT volunteer. "A lot of them smoke; if you go outside you'll see at least two or three kids on the corner smoking."

According to recent statistics by the American Cancer Society, approximately 15% of young men in Montana use spit tobacco. While it does not seem to be a big problem on the surface, using spit tobacco can have some serious health side effects.

Tuesday, Cascade City-County Health Department and reACT were at Great Falls High as part of "Through With Chew Week."

"It's an effort to where we can raise awareness for folks that are using spit tobacco or anything of that concoction," said Teddy Nault, Tobacco Use Prevention Specialist with the City-County Health Department.

The "Through With Chew" program started in Wyoming in 1989, and reACT started in Montana in 2005. With youth volunteers across the state, the program aims for students to educate their classmates.

"What they want to do is make sure that their peers, faculty, the community, everyone else knows about what is exactly in tobacco products," said Nault.

Spit tobacco has 28 known carcinogens, including Benzene, Lead, Arsenic, and Formaldehyde.

"We feel that this is necessary so that people are educated and understand exactly what is it going into their body," said Nault.

According to the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 10 high school sophomores and 1 in 7 high school seniors use spit tobacco nationwide. There is also more nicotine, the compound responsible for a person's addiction to tobacco, in a single can of chew than in four packs of cigarettes.

These numbers may not paint an accurate picture, according to Nault, as some high school students are reluctant to admit they smoke cigarettes or use spit tobacco.

Although some made fun of the demonstration, Hunter feels a few students got the message.

"They may think it's a joke but at the same time they're learning more even though they don't realize it," said Hunter.

City-County Health and reACT will be at C.M. Russell High in Great Falls Thursday.

If you are using any type of tobacco and would like to quit, for Lent or permanently, call the Montana Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

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