Dark Side of the Chew

Gr 7 Up—With an abundance of factual information and a dose of wit, this film takes viewers to the truly dark side of our passion for chewing gum. The film delves into the consequences of this seemingly innocuous habit, noting that fossilized gum from more than 5,000 years ago has been found in Finland and the discovery of chicle tree sap in the jungles of South America and how that started contemporary humans on the path to chewing gum obsession. Trillions of sticks of gum are chewed each year. Many of them end up on sidewalks, stuck under tabletops, or littering floors in public buildings, but gum is no longer a natural, biodegradable product. It is basically a plastic polymer that, once discarded, eventually joins the other tons of plastic making up the garbage stream causing environmental and ecological damage. And then there is the dental decay issue. Examples are given from various countries—Mexico, Canada, Finland, Brazil, and the United States—detailing the dark consequences associated with gum. This is a fascinating and multi-faceted look at a common but not so harmless pleasure. Viewers will think twice before unwrapping their next chew.