Teens rally against tobacco use in state Capitol

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida teens are hoping a somber mock funeral will shake up their peers and convince them not to chew tobacco.

High school students dressed in black marched to the state Capitol today, carrying caskets and signs to make a point about the dangers of chewing tobacco.

They say chew contains 28 cancer-causing elements and it's just as dangerous and addictive as smoking cigarettes.

The motto for their rally was "a hand in the can is a foot in the grave."

They released a survey showing many more teenagers have used chewing tobacco in North Florida, 26 percent compared to 13 percent for the statewide average.

But these students are excited about a massive infusion of new cash from the state's tobacco settlement for anti-smoking programs.

A new constitutional amendment will boost funding for anti-tobacco programs from six million dollars to about 58 million dollars over the next year.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)