Pentel Shakes Up Back to School With a Healthy Debut

TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2010-2011 school year is now in session. Along with the usual flurry of stocking up on the right school supplies, new backpacks and hip lunchboxes, a recent survey from the American Medical Association and WebMD adds a new element to the Back-To-School season- keeping school children healthy.

Classrooms are a breeding ground for germs. According to the AMA, 96% of the teachers they surveyed believe more can be done to make classrooms cleaner and healthier. WebMD reports that on average, children catch about eight colds a year. This equates to 22 million absences, for just the common cold. That adds up to quite a few germs.

Where are the germs coming from? According to Charles Gerber, a professor of microbiology from the University of Arizona, the answer may surprise you. "Studies have shown that the dirtiest thing in any classroom is the community pencil sharpener," Gerber states. "Pack mechanical pencils in your child's school supplies so he or she doesn't have to use the sharpener."

Pentel of America, the leader in creating ground-breaking writing instruments, is pleased to announce the timely debut of Jolt, the latest in an already innovative line of mechanical pencils. Featuring revolutionary Sliding Sleeve Technology, the Jolt automatically advances lead for uninterrupted use. Two simple shakes of the pencil expose the lead.

"Shaking the lead out is a creative addition to mechanical pencils, and as we've recently discovered, an excellent way to avoid the pencil sharpener," says Mindy Dollberg, Marketing Manager for Pentel of America.

Refillable with the famous Pentel Super Hi-Polymer lead, the Jolt is an innovative addition to the already extensive line of Pentel mechanical pencils.

"Mechanical pencils is an increasingly important category for Pentel. Our campaign with the Boston Red Sox and the Major League Baseball Association further reiterated that the Jolt is a creative boost to an already growing category," continues Dollberg. "Not only does it prevent children from exposure to the classroom's worst germs, but the refillable capability of mechanical pencils is environmentally friendly."

Creating a healthy, germ-free school environment is critical to a student's success. Equipping children with innovative school supplies not only fosters creativity, but in the case of the Pentel Jolt mechanical pencil, it keeps them healthier too. Pentel Jolt is available at mass-market retailers everywhere.

SOURCE Pentel