North Carolina Kids to 'Kick Butts' on March 18

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

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Mar 13, 2015, 12:00 ET

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in North Carolina 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 North Carolina, tobacco companies spend $349.8 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 North Carolina, tobacco use claims 14,200 lives and costs $3.81 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, an unhealthy 15 percent of North Carolina'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 North Carolina, activities include:

The U.S. Army will challenge students in Winston-Salem to compete for the title of Kick Butts Champion in various events at the Winston-Salem Dash BB&T Ballpark. The event will include informational booths and quizzes for youth to learn about the dangers of tobacco use. Time: 4:30 PM. Location: 951 Ballpark Way, Winston-Salem. Contact: Terri Moy (336) 705-9019.

Columbia High School TRU club members will expose big tobacco's lies and tricks by "airing out" Big Tobacco's dirty laundry with a powerful display to educate students about the deadly consequences of tobacco. Time: 12 PM. Location: Columbia High School, 902 Main Street, Columbia. Contact: Sarah Fox (252) 796-8161.

Students from East Chapel Hill High School will participate in a tobacco spin-wheel game during lunch periods to learn about the dangers of tobacco use in various forms. Time: 12:15 PM. Location: 500 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill. Contact: Shari Coveney (919) 280-6638.

On March 21, Asheville community members will join the mayor and local town officials in an anti-tobacco walk through downtown Asheville. Local officials will speak about the importance of staying tobacco-free at Pack Square Park prior to the walk. Time: 10 AM. Location: 121 College Street, Asheville. Contact: Donna Storrow (828) 231-0959.

All events are on March 18 except the Asheville event. For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in North Carolina, 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