Time for something from The Guardian's Notes & Queries section, just for the hell of it:

What happens when you swallow chewing gum? Nic Enright, Vancouver Canada

It wraps itself around your heart and kills you. That's what the wise old woman who lived in our street told us when we were young.
Bill Wilson, Derby England

The wise old woman in our street told us that if we swallowed too much it would form a big chewing gum ball in our stomachs and it would eventually explode and kill us. Bubble gum was OK though.
Stephen, Curitiba Brazil

You turn purple and swell up to 5 times your normal size. Then some little green guys in white dungarees roll you off to be de-juiced.
Martin, Newcastle UK

According to my mum, when I was younger, you blow a bubble out of your bum. Why that was supposed to deter a curious 5 year old is beyond me.
Gareth, Graham UK

Bit boring & probably untrue this but I heard somewhere that it takes around 7 years to digest chewing/bubble gum!
Sam , Brighton UK

Chewing gum has five basic ingredients - sweeteners, corn syrup, softeners, flavors and gum base (the part that puts the "chew" in chewing gum). The first four ingredients are soluble, meaning they dissolve in your mouth as you chew. Gum base doesn't. And although is isn't meant to be swallowed, if it is, it simply passes through your system, just like popcorn or any other form of roughage. This normally takes only a few days.
Rich Waters, Derby UK

I had a primary school teacher who told us that if you chew gum your stomach would explode and you would die.
Caroline Scanlan, Dublin Ireland

Now I really must find some work to do!.