Louisiana Kids to 'Kick Butts' on March 18

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

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Mar 13, 2015, 12:19 ET

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Louisiana will stand up to Big Tobacco on March 18 and the days before and after 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 Louisiana, tobacco companies spend $215.2 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 Louisiana, health advocates are working to increase the state tobacco tax to prevent kids from smoking and save lives. In addition, New Orleans is preparing to implement its new smoke-free ordinance on April 22. The ordinance will make bars, casinos and all other workplaces smoke-free and protect everyone's right to breathe clean air.

In Louisiana, tobacco use claims 7,200 lives and costs $1.89 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 12.1 percent of Louisiana'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 Louisiana, activities include:

On March 17, the Delta Community Enhancement DEFY Team will host an anti-tobacco rally at the Lake Providence Community Center for youth of all ages. The rally will educate, motivate and recruit youth to live a tobacco-free life and will include a live DJ and other activities. Time: 5 PM. Location: 1320 Highway 65, Lake Providence. Contact: Elisha Lucas (318) 341-3170.

Students at Pine Junior and Senior High School in Franklinton will participate in a #NotAReplacement social media campaign, sponsored by ADAPT, Inc. and the Campaign for Tobacco Free Living. Students will post that, despite Big Tobacco's advertising efforts, they will replacement smokers that have quit or died. Time: 8 AM. Location: 28315 Louisiana 424, Franklinton. Contact: Gail Brigham (985) 414-2087.

Members of the Keystone Club at the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Central Louisiana will host an anti-tobacco rally in the Police Jury parking lot in Ruston. The pep rally will include a performance by the Grambling State University marching band, a DJ, games to teach the kids about the dangers of tobacco, and prizes for the attendees. Time: 4 pm. Location: 100 W. Texas Avenue, Ruston. Contact: Jeffery Miller (318) 255-2242.

On March 28, central Louisiana youth will participate in a scavenger hunt at the Alexandria Zoo to learn about the dangers and negative effects of tobacco. Time: 10 AM. Location: 3016 Masonic Drive, Alexandria. Contact: Christy Mabou (318) 451-7951.

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