Massachusetts Kids to 'Kick Butts' on March 18

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

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Mar 13, 2015, 12:05 ET

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, tobacco companies spend $134.7 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 Massachusetts, tobacco use claims 9,300 lives and costs $4.08 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 10.7 percent of Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts, activities include:

Hundreds of youth from across the state will gather in Boston to participate in leadership training, march against tobacco and meet with state legislators at the Massachusetts State House to advocate for stronger tobacco regulations. This event will feature Dr. Monica Bharel, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Nancy Gagliano, Senior Vice President, CVS Health and Chief Medical Officer, CVS/minuteclinic; and approximately 250 youth from The 84 Youth Movement. Time: 8:30 AM. Location: 24 Beacon Street, Boston. Contact: Rick Stockwood (617) 953-0178.

Somerville Special Positive Forces youth leaders will draw positive, anti-tobacco messages on the sidewalks of City Hall to inspire the community to live tobacco-free. Time: 1 PM. Location: 93 Highland Avenue, Somerville. Contact: Lovelee Heller (617) 943-3629.

Active duty and retired members of the US Coast Guard and their family members who decide to sign a pledge card to "Quit or Commit" not to use tobacco will receive a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $20 or more at the Cape Cod Coast Guard Exchange (CGX) in Cautamet. The signed pledge cards will be posted inside the CGX store. Location: 5202 Lee Road, Cautamet. Contact: Bobbi Fenstermacher (508) 563-2518.

For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in Massachusetts, 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