Why gum should be allowed in school (Charlie)

In most middle schools, gum chewing is not allowed. The reasons for this is because many people think it is nasty, distracting, and will be stuck in places that you will end up putting your hand in. Today, though, I’ll show you why gum chewing should be allowed in all schools. Some recent studies have proven that chewing gum can help. In a test at the Baylor College of Medicine, 108 kids (ages 13-16) were separated into two groups. One group was given gum, the other not, and the two groups were followed for 14 weeks, always keeping the pattern for homework and tests. The scores showed that the kids who chewed gum had a 3% better score than the rest of the kids. The gum kids also had better concentration and longer attention spans. Gum tests have shown that not only concentration and attention spans were affected. A test at the University of Northumbria showed that it improves memory, like the short term memory of recalling words, names, or phone numbers. Again, the difference was very noticeable.
It has been proven that there is an explanation of why gum helps. We’ve even learned about it in Science. When you do some form of physical exercise (running, jumping, and in this case, chewing) your body pumps blood faster, trying to get oxygen to the parts of the body that need it to provide energy. When you chew gum, a lot more oxygen comes through your body. The brain loves this oxygen, and it seems to make your mind work better.
I’ll disprove another assumption that most people think; that gum damages teeth because people are chewing it for so long. There is sugar free gum, and even regular, sugary gum only does minimal damage to weaker teeth. Nothing that can’t be scrubbed of by a good toothbrush. The sugar free gum does no damage at all. Gum can even clean off the pieces of food from your teeth after you’ve eaten lunch, clearing junk that could wear away the outer covering of your teeth. It strengthens your jaw muscles, making it easier for you to eat other foods.
Many teachers think that most gum chewers will stick it under desks, or on walls, or something like that. Many kids though, say they would never do that if they didn’t have to hide it. Teachers also think that gum is too loud, even though it is barely recognizable unless if it is being smacked or blown into a bubble. If that happens, then the teacher can just tell the student to chew more quietly.
Another great reason to chew gum is that people really do enjoy chewing it. People like the taste of the flavors, the constant motion of the chewing, and because they know that chewing gum can help you in school. If the gum becomes a distraction, then the teacher can tell them to be quiet or to spit it out. I’m not saying there won’t be consequences for abusing gum chewing. Very few kids, though, have it explained to them why gum is not allowed in middle schools. If someone could explain the consequences (like a ban if gum is misused) then maybe kids would use it much more responsibly. The high schools allow gum, and they seem to have few troubles with gum.
I myself chew gum very much. Whenever I play sports, I ritually get two pieces of gum. It really seems like I do better when I use it, and I can’t imagine I’ll ever stop (it’s like when my favorite team scores a lot of runs to take the lead, and I’m afraid to change my position on the couch). I bring gum with me to school, too, to chew during our breaks (and I think teachers and students would prefer it if the kids’ breath smelled better than a sewer). As far as I know, when I was chewing gum, or when I gave it to someone else, the gum never became a distraction. I wish that I was able to chew it all the time, because I always feel more comfortable with it.
Gum is a great way to enhance concentration, and kids should be able to take advantage of it. Many tests have proved how much it helps their concentration, attention, and memory. That three percent difference shown in the test can be for many kids the difference between an A or a B, or even the difference between a pass and a fail. As long as the privilege is not abused too much, then gum should be allowed in middle school.