Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas, tobacco companies spend $586.4 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 Texas, tobacco use claims 28,000 lives and costs $8.85 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 14.1 percent of Texas'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 Texas, activities include:

The Bethel Prevention Coalition will host an anti-tobacco festival at the Oak Manor Apartment Community in San Antonio that will feature resources on the harmful effects of tobacco and other drugs, as well as the opportunity to kick the butt of a tobacco mascot, with proper training from a local karate teacher. Time: 4 PM. Location: 2330 Austin Highway, San Antonio. Contact: Pastor Keely Petty (210) 687-2649.

The Unidad Tobacco Prevention & Control Coalition in Pharr is challenging all of its members to pledge to be tobacco-free by taking #NotAReplacement selfies. In turn, the coalition members will tag and challenge various community leaders on social media to do the same. Time: 10 AM. Location: 5510 N. Cage Boulevard, Suite R, Pharr. Contact: Melisa Tejada: (956) 787-0004 ext. 19.

The Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA) will host a booth at the March Spring Break Festival at Eastwood Park Community Center in Houston, and invite the community to pledge to be tobacco-free. The event will feature food, music, dancing, sports, and arts & crafts. Time: 11 AM. Location: 5000 Harrisburg Boulevard, Houston. Contact: Adriana Dibello or Jay Lopez (713) 926-9491.

In celebration of Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day, teens in Tyler are partnering with Rose City Bingo to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle. Teens will sit in the smoking section for one hour while adults play bingo and ask them not to smoke for the entire time, providing refreshments for those who choose to not smoke. Time: 6:45 PM. Location: 1216 S. Bennett Avenue, Tyler. Contact: Sha'Gayla Lydia (903) 590-4765 or Shelia Elders (903) 590-2610.

The Bay Area Council on Drugs & Alcohol (BACODA) of Galveston County are swaying young spring breakers at the beach to make a selfie statement proclaiming to Big Tobacco that they are #NotAReplacement smoker. Time: 11AM. Location: Ben & Jerry's, 4408 Seawall Blvd, Galveston. Contact: Debi Hart (713) 548-7001.

All events are on March 18 unless otherwise indicated. For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in Texas, 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