Unfortunately, not all children know the truth about spit tobacco. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 14.8 percent of all boys in U.S. high schools – and 1.9 percent of all girls – currently use spit tobacco products. To help end spit tobacco use in America’s children, Oral Health America (OHA) and its innovative education program, NSTEP, have joined forces with Little League International to work in all areas of the Little League community to spread the word that spit tobacco is dangerous to the health of children. The slogan contest is just one component of a year-long campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of spit tobacco use.

“This partnership with Little League International is a major step for NSTEP,” said Robert Klaus, president and CEO of Oral Health America. “OHA is honored to have the opportunity to teach so many Little Leaguers just how dangerous spit tobacco really is and positively influence the lives of children.”

The culmination of the year-long partnership was the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., from August 19 – 28. During the Series, representatives from OHA and NSTEP talked to Little League players and fans about the dangers of spit tobacco.

Funded in part by Sunstar Butler, the Academy of Sports Dentistry and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, NSTEP works with Little League International, Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), Minor League Baseball, and the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS), to educate Americans on the dangers of spit tobacco and to help users to quit.