Pennsylvania Kids Will 'Kick Butts' on Wednesday, March 20

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Mar 15, 2013, 01:20 ET

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Pennsylvania will stand up against tobacco on March 20 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 18^th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,200 events are planned across the United States. (See below for a list of local events.)

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Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and sponsored by United Health Foundation, Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use. On Kick Butts Day, youth will encourage their peers to stay tobacco-free. They will also educate their communities about the dangers of tobacco and the tobacco industry's harmful marketing practices.

This year on Kick Butts Day, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is highlighting the tobacco industry's products and marketing that entice kids to use tobacco. According to the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend $8.5 billion a year – nearly $1 million each hour – to market cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. This marketing has an impact on kids:

While the U.S. has greatly reduced youth smoking, 18.1 percent of high school students still smoke, and nearly 1,000 kids become regular smokers each day. Among youth smokers, 86 percent prefer Marlboro, Newport and Camel, which are the three most heavily advertised cigarette brands, according to the government's National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Tobacco companies have also introduced new products that appeal to kids, including cheap, sweet, colorfully-packaged small cigars that look just like cigarettes. Many cigars come in fruit and candy flavors such as strawberry, vanilla, peach and apple.

In a 2012 report, the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that tobacco marketing causes kids to start and continue using tobacco products.

"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. "It's also a chance for elected leaders to commit to protecting kids from tobacco through policies such as tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws and prevention programs. We hope that legislators will listen to their young constituents and implement these proven solutions to reduce tobacco use and save lives."

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.

In Pennsylvania, tobacco use claims 20,000 lives and costs $5.19 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 18.4 percent of the state's high school students smoke.

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco with events that range from "They put WHAT in a cigarette!?" demonstrations to health fairs to rallies at state capitols. Activities in Pennsylvania include:

Youth at the Boys & Girls Club in Chambersburg will present an "Air out the Dirty Laundry" event where they will hang tobacco facts on a clothesline to educate others about its dangers. Time: 3:30 PM. Location: 440 West Washington Street, Chambersburg. Contact: Stacy McCole (717) 372-6703.

Students on the dance team at The Citadel in Reading will participate in "flash mobs" to share anti-tobacco messages with fellow students. They will also decorate the school with tobacco awareness posters. Time: 10:30 AM. Location: 800 Washington Street, Reading. Contact: Paige Carroll (610) 376-8669.

The Montgomery County Health Department will sponsor a Kick Butts Day poster contest at the Colonial Middle School. Students will be asked to submit public health art about tobacco, its harmful effects, and how it affects them on a daily basis. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on March 18. Time: 2:00 PM. Location: 716 Belvoir Rd, Plymouth Meeting. Contact: Lindsay Smith (215) 630-1747.

Students at Valley Forge Military Academy and College will display shoes to represent people who have died from tobacco-related diseases. Time: 12 p.m. Location: 1001 Eagle Road, Wayne. Contact: Ruth Conboy (610) 989-1227.

(All events are on March 20, unless otherwise indicated.)

For a full list of Kick Butts Day events in Pennsylvania, visit http://www.kickbuttsday.org/events. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.