WASHINGTON, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Maine will stand up against tobacco on March 19 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 19th 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 50th 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 27,000 children in Maine 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 50th 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 Maine alone, tobacco use claims 2,200 lives and costs $811 million in health care bills each year. Currently, 15.2 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 Maine include:
Students involved in the Afterschool Program in RSU20 at Searsport Elementary School will host an anti-tobacco rally and educational activities to teach their fellow students about the dangers of smoking. Time: 2 PM. Location: 30 Mortland Road, Searsport. Contact: Ruth Southworth (207) 548-2320.
Members from the Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) program will showcase a video they created to students at Mt. Blue High School to educate them about the harmful effects of tobacco use. The video will be promoted online and aired during HCC's Healthbeat radio program. Time: 8 AM. Location: 129 Seamon Road, Farmington. Contact: Heather Fellman (207) 799-2934.
Teens from the Biddeford Teen Center After School Program will air out Big Tobacco's "Dirty Laundry." Teens will display t-shirts marked with anti-tobacco messages to educate their peers and the community about the deadly consequences of tobacco use. Time: 3 PM. Location: 550 Main Street, Biddeford. Contact: Cheryle Lessard (207) 281-3060.
Fifth grade students at Limestone Community School will participate in Kick Butts Day by displaying posters to educate their peers about deadly chemicals found in cigarettes and the harmful effects of tobacco. Time: 9 AM. Location: 93 High Street, Limestone. Contact: Jo-Ellen Kelley (207) 554-4128.
On March 24, members of the RSU20 Afterschool Student Advisory Board will meet at Captain Albert Stevens Elementary School with a Waldo County legislator to discuss what current smoke-free legislation is in place, and how students can promote it in the community. Time: 1 PM. Location: 31 Elementary Avenue, Belfast. Contact: Ruth Southworth (207) 548-2320.
(Note: all events are on March 19 unless otherwise indicated.)
For a full list of Kick Butts Day events in Maine, 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
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