By Peter Oduor

Chewing gum is the most popular form of mouth freshener around that cuts across all the age brackets. It is quite acceptable for the youth, kids cannot get enough of it while grown ups of both sexes also use it should they doubt their breath.

In short, gum offers many a sense of oral confidence. But like everything else it has its good side and bad side. The bad side comes to the fore in the manner of its disposal. Many ill-mannered people leave the sticky and filthy lumps in the most awkward places.

For some the best place to dump the chewed gum is under the table and it does not matter whose.

For others there is no better place than under the armrest of chairs or even under church benches.

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There is nothing more disgusting than finding one’s finger touching one of these sticky lumps under a seat. One wonders about the mouth from whence came the gum. Probably it was chewed alongside miraa or tobacco for a long considerable time.

While we are not against the practice of chewing gum, we do advocate for better disposal behaviour. Everyone has a right to chew gum, and munch it and swallow it if possible, but once one is done use tissue paper or walk to a bin and dispose of it in a civilised manner. Leaving the sticky lumps under seats, tables and other places is to demonstrate one’s immaturity. Please save others the agony of having to touch the sticky lump.