Should students be allowed to chew gum at school? Today, a growing number of students are showing more signs of anxiety, stress, and ADHD. One solution to this problem is to allow children to chew gum in class. Evidence shows that the process of chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain and heart as well as saliva in the mouth, giving the individual certain benefits. Students should be allowed to chew gum in class because they demonstrate increased memory and alertness, higher test scores and concentration, and decreased stress and anxiety (Pooley, Smith). Most people think that the process of chewing gum can be distracting. not only for the chewer, but also for the people around him. Chewing gum can be distracting if people are not respectful to others, but chewing gum itself is not distracting. It is how the chewer handles the gum that determines whether it is distracting. Studies have proven that students with ADHD who chew gum are less distracted and can concentrate more easily. Additionally, students with high levels of anxiety and stress also benefit from chewing gum while studying because they have lower levels of stress and anxiety (Smith). A study from Bournemouth University in Dorset, England, confirmed that the chewing motion helps students maintain their attention span longer because they are moving rather than sitting completely still. Carolyne Cybulski, an elementary school teacher in Toronto, encouraged her students to chew gum several times a day while working in class. She reported that the result of the strategy was impressive and that her students were calmer and less distracted. Their attention span was longer, they showed fewer signs of anxiety and they were in a more positive position...... middle of paper ...... and chewing gum after lunch, they ate fewer high-calorie snacks and had fewer cravings. for sweets and unhealthy foods (Gajilan). Works Cited Dhingra, Arun. “A middle school student pleads in favor of chewing gum at school.” Web log publication. Blog Think about erasers. WordPress.com, April 21, 2011. Web. April 12, 2014. Gajilan, A. Chris. “Chew this: gum can be good for the body and mind.” CNN. Cable News Network, nd Web. April 13, 2014. Pooley, Erin. “Can chewing gum really help students concentrate?” The Globe and Mail. Phillip Crawley, December 17, 2013. Web. April 12, 2014. Smith, Andrew. “Effects of chewing gum on cognitive function, mood and physiology in stressed and non-stressed volunteers." Nutritional Neuroscience 13.1 (2010): 7-16. Academic Search Premier. Internet. April 14, 2014. Smith, Shelly. "Does chewing gum make you helps you concentrate? Education.com, Inc., 2006-2014.. 2014.