17th Annual Kick Butts Day

More than 1,100 events are planned across the nation as kids across America take center stage in the fight against tobacco today as they participate in the 17th annual Kick Butts Day. Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and sponsored by the United Health Foundation. 

On Kick Butts Day, youth will encourage their peers to stay tobacco-free and educate their communities about the dangers of tobacco and the tobacco industry’s harmful marketing practices. This year, Kick Butts Day comes just after a new report by the U.S. Surgeon General found that, while the nation has made tremendous progress in reducing youth smoking, youth tobacco use remains a “pediatric epidemic” that requires urgent action. The Surgeon General’s report reached the following conclusions:

• While the high school smoking rate has been cut nearly in half since the mid-1990s, more than 3.6 million middle and high school students still smoke.
• In addition to long-term consequence such as cancer and heart disease, tobacco use immediately harms the health of youth and young adults. Smoking quickly causes nicotine addiction, cardiovascular damage, slower lung growth and shortness of breath.
• Tobacco marketing causes kids to start and continue using tobacco products. Tobacco companies spend more than $10 billion a year – more than $1 million an hour – to advertise and promote their products.
• Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. Nationally, 19.5% of high school students still smoke, and another 1,000 kids become regular smokers every day.
• Science and experience have identified proven strategies to reduce youth tobacco use. These include mass media campaigns, increasing the price of cigarettes through higher tobacco tax, smoke-free policies, and school and community prevention programs.

My grandfather past away almost 8 years ago of cancer, and as a long time smoker, he said on his death bed that he felt bad for those that were "killing themselves." That quote stuck with me, and I have always been an advocate for helping making kids smoke free. So I feel privileged to tell you about Kick Butts Day, and it's my hope that kids around the country will participate!

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco with events that range from “They put WHAT in a cigarette?” demonstrations to health fairs to rallies at state capitols. For a list of Kick Butts Day events by state, visit www.kickbuttsday.org/events. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.