Montana Kids 'Kick Butts' on March 24

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Mar 18, 2010, 03:08 ET

State Leaders Urged to Support Higher Tobacco Taxes, Other Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Montana will take center stage in the fight against tobacco on March 24 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 15th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,000 events are planned in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (for a list of local events see below).

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Sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use. Kids are sending two powerful messages on Kick Butts Day: They want the tobacco companies to stop targeting them with marketing for cigarettes and other tobacco products, and they want elected leaders to do more to protect them from tobacco.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and other public health advocates are calling on elected officials to support proven measures to reduce tobacco use and its devastating toll. As states struggle with record budget deficits, state leaders should increase tobacco taxes both to prevent kids from smoking and to raise revenue to balance budgets and fund critical programs. States should also enact smoke-free air laws that apply to all workplaces and public places and implement well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

"On Kick Butts Day, kids are standing up to the tobacco companies, and elected officials should stand with them by supporting proven tobacco prevention measures," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "We know what works to reduce smoking and other tobacco use. Every state should implement these proven solutions, including higher tobacco taxes, well-funded tobacco prevention programs and smoke-free air laws."

Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. While the nation has made significant progress in reducing youth smoking, 20 percent of high school students still smoke.

In Montana, tobacco use claims 1,400 lives and costs $277 million in health care bills each year. Currently, 20 percent of the state's high school students smoke, and 3,900 kids try cigarettes for the first time each year.

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco with events that range from "They put WHAT in a cigarette?" demonstrations to mock-funerals for the Marlboro Man to rallies at state capitols. Activities in Montana include (all events are on March 24 unless otherwise noted):

Students from Montana State University in Bozeman will set up a table in the student union to promote a tobacco-free campus and to give information and support to those who wish to quit. Time: 11 AM. Location: 1401 W. Lincoln Street, Bozeman. Contact: Ethan Keeler (406) 498-7980.

In Boulder, students from the Service Learning Project will set up a table outside the local grocery store featuring a display of the various chemicals that are found in cigarettes, such as ammonia and arsenic. Time: 3 PM. Location: 213 N. Main Street, Boulder. Contact: Barb Reiter (406) 461-3618.

ReACT members of Red Lodge will create awareness about Green Tobacco Sickness by wearing green gloves on the street and passing out cards that explain how tobacco laborers worldwide experience extreme poverty and harsh working conditions. Time: All Day. Location: 311 S. Oakes Avenue, Red Lodge. Contact: Jean Atherly (406) 860-1902.

Thompson Falls Americorps Vistas will lead the Thompson Falls High School student body in a Kick Butts Day carnival where kids will learn about the dangers of tobacco use through games, trivia contests and educational displays. Time: 10 AM. Location: 601 Golf Street, Thompson Falls. Contact: Tom Eggensperger (406) 827-3421.

Note to the media: For a list of Kick Butts Day events in Montana, visit www.kickbuttsday.org/events. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids