South Carolina Kids 'Kick Butts' on March 24

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Mar 18, 2010, 02:11 ET

South Carolina Leaders Urged to Increase Cigarette Tax by $1

WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in South Carolina 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.

In South Carolina, 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 South Carolina would have the following benefits:

Prevent 46,700 kids from becoming smokers;
Spur 25,700 current adult smokers to quit;
Save 21,700 residents from premature, smoking-caused deaths; and
Save $1 billion in health care costs.

"On Kick Butts Day, kids are standing up to the tobacco companies, and South Carolina 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 South Carolina: 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 South Carolina, tobacco use claims 6,100 lives and costs $1.09 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 17.8 percent of the state's high school students smoke, and 22,400 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 South Carolina include (all events are on March 24 unless otherwise noted):

Students from East Cooper Montessori Charter School in Mt. Pleasant will write letters to South Carolina state representatives to encourage them to support anti-tobacco legislation. Students will also be sponsoring the "Cold Turkey Sandwich" at the Square Onion Restaurant to encourage members of the community to be tobacco-free. Time: 10 AM. Location: 250 Ponsbury Road, Mt. Pleasant. Contact: Rachel Anspach (843) 216-2883.

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