Ohio Kids 'Kick Butts' on March 24

News provided by

Mar 18, 2010, 02:39 ET

Ohio Leaders Urged to Increase Cigarette Tax by $1

WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Ohio will take center stage in the fight against tobacco on March 24 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 15^th 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).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080918/CFTFKLOGO )

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.

In Ohio, health advocates are calling on state leaders to increase the cigarette tax by $1 per pack in order to prevent kids from smoking and raise much-needed revenue to address the state's budget shortfall and fund critical programs such as health care and education. According to a recent report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a $1 cigarette tax increase in Ohio would have the following benefits:

Prevent 109,000 kids from becoming smokers;
Spur 52,600 current adult smokers to quit;
Save 48,800 residents from premature, smoking-caused deaths; and
Save $2.4 billion in health care costs.

"On Kick Butts Day, kids are standing up to the tobacco companies, and Ohio leaders should stand with them by increasing the cigarette tax," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "A higher cigarette tax is truly a win-win-win for Ohio: a health win that will prevent kids from smoking and save lives; a budget win that will help protect vital programs like health care and education; and a political win that is popular with the voters."

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 Ohio, tobacco use claims 18,500 lives and costs $4.37 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 19.4 percent of the state's high school students smoke, and 63,900 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 Ohio include (all events are on March 24 unless otherwise noted):

In Cleveland, students at the HOPE Academy Broadway Campus will be "Kicking Butts with Art" with a poster content judged by the mayor. Time: 1 PM. Location: 3398 E. 55th Street, Cleveland. Contact: Tamika Murkins (216) 624-5676.

Students at Windham High School will host a host a Kick Butts Day carnival where kids will learn about the dangers of tobacco use through games, trivia contests and educational displays. 8 AM. Location: 9035 Maple Grove Road, Windham. Contact: Pat Stevenson (330) 636-8232.

At the Lakeshore Coffee House in Euclid, Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.) will host a "Kick Butts Night" which will feature karaoke and an open mic for youth to speak out against tobacco. Youth will also commit to be tobacco-free and encourage peers and loved ones to quit smoking by signing a pledge wall. Time: 7 PM. Location: 22032 Lake Shore Blvd., Euclid. Contact: Ed Bonchak (440) 251-1218.

Note to the media: For a list of Kick Butts Day events in Ohio, 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