An educational campaign on the consequences of teen pregnancy was launched Friday by Third Judicial District Attorney General Berkeley Bell.

"What's The Rush? Don't Be a Teen Parent," a campaign of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, was presented by Bell during the Northeast Tennessee Child Support Seminar at the General Morgan Inn.

The campaign is designed to spread awareness about the increasing number of teenage boys in the state who are failing to pay child support and are going to jail for the offense.

"This is a very serious problem in Tennessee," Bell said.

"Tennessee's district attorneys are seeing entirely too many cases of teenage fathers not paying child support, resulting in jail time.

"We hope this campaign drives home the point that there are very real consequences to being a teen mother or father -- it's not all cute and fun."

Bell unveiled the campaign's video presenting teenage mothers and fathers telling how their lives were changed by teen pregnancy and parenthood.

He said the video will be shown this year at schools across the state.

The video features two young women who each had two babies during their teens.

Also featured is a teenage boy who cries because he rarely sees his son.

The video also shows the financial strain placed on teenage parents, including $700 a month in child-support payments.

According to the video, there are more than 17,000 teenage pregnancies each year in Tennessee.

Bell also cited statistics from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy:

* Eight out of 10 teen fathers do not marry the mothers of their first child.

* Less than half of the mothers who have a child before they are 18 years old graduate from high school, and less than 2 percent have a college degree by age 30.

* Teenage fathers have less education and earn much less money than teenage boys without children.

* The children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at a low birth weight, which can cause infant death, blindness, deafness, respiratory problems, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, dyslexia and hyperactivity.

* Children of teen mothers are 50 percent more likely to have to repeat a grade in school and are less likely to finish high school.

* The sons of teen mothers are 13 percent more likely to end up in prison.

* The children of teen mothers are two times more likely to suffer abuse and neglect compared to children of older mothers.

The campaign's brochure also states:

* More than 47 teen girls in the U.S. give birth every hour.

* The cost of raising a child from birth to 17 years old is estimated to be $197,790.

* The state can suspend the driver's license of those who do not pay child support.

For more information on the "What's the Rush?" campaign, contact Bell's office at 787-1450.