DC Youth Join Forces to 'Kick Butts' Against Tobacco on March 19 at Community Rally

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Mar 17, 2014, 02:09 ET

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Youth from the DC Prevention Center for Wards 1 and 2 will host an anti-tobacco rally to stand out, speak up, and seize control against Big Tobacco. The rally is part of Kick Butts Day – an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The rally is one of 1,400 events planned across the county to encourage youth to stay tobacco-free and educate communities about the tobacco industry's harmful marketing practices.

The upcoming rally in DC will feature:

Speeches by guest speakers
Youth presentations about tobacco facts
Displays of youth artwork, poetry and dance

In DC alone, tobacco use claims 700 lives and costs $391 million in health care bills each year. Without urgent action to reduce smoking, 5.6 million U.S. children alive today will die prematurely from smoking-caused disease, including 7,000 children in DC.

This event is hosted by all four DC Prevention Centers (DCPC) and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in cooperation with DC's Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), and the Addiction, Prevention and Recovery Administration (APRA).

WHEN: Wednesday, March 19, 2014
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: Girard Street Park
Corner of 14^th Street NW and Girard Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

Note: In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Latin American Youth Center's community room located at 1419 Columbia Road, NW, Washington DC 20009.

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SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids