Florida Kids to 'Kick Butts' on March 18

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

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Mar 13, 2015, 12:15 ET

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Florida will stand up to Big Tobacco on March 18 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 20^th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,000 events are planned nationwide for this day of youth activism, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (See below for a list of local events.)

On Kick Butts Day, kids encourage their peers to stay tobacco-free, demand that tobacco companies stop marketing deadly, addictive products to them and encourage elected officials to do more to reduce youth tobacco use.

This year, Kick Butts Day is focusing attention on how the tobacco industry still spends huge sums on marketing and is adopting new strategies to reach young customers. Nationwide, tobacco companies spend $8.8 billion a year – one million dollars every hour – to market tobacco products. In Florida, tobacco companies spend $562.6 million annually on marketing efforts. The industry's tactics that entice kids include:

Splashy ads in magazines with large youth readership, such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine and Rolling Stone.
Widespread advertising and price discounts in stores, which make tobacco products appealing and affordable to kids.
New, sweet-flavored tobacco products such as small cigars and electronic cigarettes. The latest surveys show that youth use of e-cigarettes has skyrocketed.

In addition to organizing events, kids are standing up to the tobacco industry on social media through the #NotAReplacement selfie campaign. The tobacco industry's own documents reveal that they have long targeted kids as "replacement smokers" for the more than 480,000 people their products kill each year in the United States. Kids are taking selfies to say they're not a replacement and sharing the photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the #NotAReplacement hashtag. (view the #NotAReplacement selfie gallery)

"On Kick Butts Day, kids stand up and reject Big Tobacco's manipulative marketing," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "We can make the next generation tobacco-free and end the tobacco epidemic for good. Elected officials can help reach that goal by standing with kids and supporting proven strategies to prevent youth tobacco use, including higher tobacco taxes, strong smoke-free laws and prevention programs."

In Florida, tobacco use claims 32,300 lives and costs $8.64 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 7.5 percent of Florida's high school students smoke.

On Kick Butts Day, kids engage in creative events that range from small classroom activities about the harmful ingredients in cigarettes to large rallies at state capitols.

In Florida, activities include:

On March 14, Lake County Students Working Against Tobacco in Clermont will provide information about the negative effects of tobacco at the Pig on the Pond Festival. Time: 1 PM. Location: Waterfront Park, Palm Street, Clermont. Contact: Marco Gallardo (352) 702-1142.

On March 14, St. Lucie County Students Working Against Tobacco in Port St. Lucie will "Air Out Big Tobacco's Dirty Laundry" at the New York Mets' spring training center. Interactive displays will advocate that tobacco be banned from Major League Baseball. Time: 11 AM. Location: 525 N.W. Peacock Boulevard, Port St. Lucie. Contact: Marcella Bianco (772) 370-2423.

On March 17, the Manatee County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) will sponsor a Pittsburgh Bradenton Marauders baseball game to raise awareness about the problems of flavored tobacco and promote for resolutions to restrict its sale. Time: 1 PM. Location: 1611 9th Street W., Bradenton. Contact: Megan Jourdan (941) 720-0049.

Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) from Baker County High School and Middle School in Glen St. Mary will listen to activist Wesley Sapp discuss the harms of tobacco and the tobacco-free policies at each school. Time: 8 AM. Location: 1 Wildcat Drive, Glen St. Mary. Contact: Pamela Jeralds (904) 653-5246.

On March 28, members of the Sarasota County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) will participate in Kick Butts Day at the Robert and Joan Lee Boys and Girls Club with an improvisational presentation from guest speakers Joey Panek and Christine Alexander, educational games and #NotAReplacement. Time: 10 AM. Location: 920 Gulfcoast Boulevard, Venice. Contact: Hilary Woodcum (941) 807-6638.

All events are on March 18 unless otherwise indicated. For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in Florida, visit 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