Connecticut Kids 'Kick Butts' on March 21

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Mar 19, 2012, 12:54 ET

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Connecticut will take center stage in the fight against tobacco on March 21 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 17th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,100 events are planned across the nation (for a list of local events see below).

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Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and sponsored by the United Health Foundation, Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use. 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.
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 taxes, smoke-free policies and school and community prevention programs.

"Kids are sending two powerful messages on Kick Butts Day: They want the tobacco companies to stop targeting them, and they want elected leaders to protect them from tobacco," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "We know how to win the fight against tobacco. Elected officials across the nation should support these proven solutions, including higher tobacco taxes, strong smoke-free laws and well-funded tobacco prevention programs."

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 percent of high school students still smoke, and another 1,000 kids become regular smokers every day.

In Connecticut, tobacco use claims 4,700 lives and costs $1.63 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 15.3 percent of the state's high school students smoke.

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. Activities in Connecticut include (all events are on March 21 unless otherwise noted):

On March 19, students at Depaolo Middle School in Southington will surround the football field with cups decorated with tobacco-free messages, as a reminder for students to live tobacco-free. Time: 3:00 p.m. Location: 385 Pleasant Street, Southington. Contact: Trish Kenefick (860) 778-6639.

The SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) club at Haddam-Killingworth Middle School in Killingworth will organize a Say "NO" to Tobacco event during lunch. They will display chemicals found in cigarettes and ask students to sign a pledge to live tobacco-free. Time: 10:30 a.m. Location: 451 Route 81, Killingworth. Contact: Michele Ouellette (860) 663-1241.

The Shelton Youth Service Bureau and its Youth 2 Youth Peer Advocates will present a "They put WHAT in a cigarette?!" event to all high school health classes at Shelton High School in Shelton. The presentations will inform students about the harmful ingredients in cigarettes and the dangers of smoking. Location: 120 Meadow Street, Shelton. Contact: Sally Schwaller (203) 924-7614.

The Depot Youth Center's chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will visit Middlesex Middle School in Darien to teach students about the ingredients that are found in cigarettes and encourage them to sign a petition to send to the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. First Selectwoman Jayme Stevenson will proclaim March 21 Kick Butts Day in Darien. Time: 10:30 a.m. Location: 204 Hollow Tree Ridge Road, Darien. Contact: Janice Marzano (203) 655-2518.

Montville Youth Service Bureau's after school program students in Uncasville will sign a pledge, committing to not smoke or use chewing tobacco. Students will also participate in educational activities, including learning about the cost of a pack of cigarettes and what one can alternatively buy with the money. Time: 3 p.m. Location: 289 Norwich New London Turnpike, Uncasville. Contact: Kimberly Grant (860) 848-7724.

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

About the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leading force in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll in the United States and around the world. Our vision is a future free of the death and disease caused by tobacco. We work to prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke. For more information, visit www.tobaccofreekids.org.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids