Arizona Kids Will 'Kick Butts' on March 19

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

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Mar 13, 2014, 11:30 ET

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Arizona will stand up against tobacco on March 19 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 19^th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,400 events are planned across the nation. (See below for a list of local events.)

Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco. On Kick Butts Day, youth will encourage their peers to stay tobacco-free and educate their communities about the tobacco industry's harmful marketing practices.

This year, Kick Butts Day comes as new information reaffirms the urgent need for action. The United States is marking the 50^th anniversary of the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health, and a new Surgeon General's report released in January found that smoking is even more hazardous than previously thought. Key findings of the report include:

Each year, smoking kills 480,000 people in the U.S. and costs the nation at least $289 billion in health care bills and other economic losses.
Without urgent action to reduce smoking, 5.6 million U.S. children alive today will die prematurely from smoking-caused disease. That includes 115,000 children in Arizona alone.
Tobacco marketing causes kids to start and continue using tobacco products.

Nationwide, tobacco companies spend $8.8 billion a year – one million dollars each hour – to market cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. In particular, tobacco companies target youth with magazine ads, store ads and discounts, and fruit- and candy-flavored small cigars that look just like cigarettes.

"On Kick Butts Day, kids will stand up and reject Big Tobacco's manipulative marketing," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Elected officials must stand with them by supporting proven measures to protect kids from tobacco addiction, including tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws and prevention programs. On the 50^th anniversary of the first Surgeon General's report, we need bold action to create a tobacco-free generation and end the tobacco epidemic for good."

In Arizona alone, tobacco use claims 7,100 lives and costs $2.38 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 17.4 percent of the state's high school students smoke.

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco in creative ways, with events that range from small classroom activities about the harmful ingredients in cigarettes to large rallies at state capitols.

Activities in Arizona include:

On March 18, Students Taking A New Direction (STAND) coalitions from around the state, in partnership with the American Heart Association, Cancer Action Network/American Cancer Society, American Lung Association in Arizona and Pima Prevention Partnership will take a stand against Big Tobacco. Youth will convene on the State Capitol lawn in Phoenix to highlight what they are doing to prevent teen tobacco use, demonstrate the need for policy action around tobacco control and meet with their local legislators. Time: 11 AM. Location: 1700 West Washington Street, Phoenix. Contact: Ken Walker (520) 977-5886.

Teens from the TAN (Teens Against Nicotine) Coalition will celebrate Kick Butts Day by hosting a variety of activities at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Colorado River in Bullhead City to teach younger club members about the dangers of smoking. The teen members will also present a case for a smoke-free park in the community. Time: 2:30 PM. Location: 2250 Highland Road, Bullhead City. Contact: Paul LaVoie (928) 763-1411.

Students at Kingman High School in Kingman will commit to being tobacco-free and encourage their peers and loved ones to quit smoking by constructing and signing a pledge wall, and creating a visual demonstration to teach students about the dangers of second-hand smoking. Time: 12:30 PM. Location: 4182 Bank Street, Kingman. Contact: Annie Meredith (480) 203-2087.

In collaboration with the semi-annual Keep Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) Clean Day and Adopt-a-Street Clean Up, students at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix will organize a Billions of Butts cleanup to remove cigarette butts from campus. Time: 10 AM. Location: 18401 N. 32^nd Street, Phoenix. Contact: Ryan Novo (602) 787-7240.

(Note: all events are on March 19 unless otherwise indicated.)

For a full list of Kick Butts Day events in Arizona, visit http://www.kickbuttsday.org/map. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

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SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids