Virginia Kids Will 'Kick Butts' on March 19

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

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Mar 13, 2014, 09:50 ET

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Virginia will stand up against tobacco on March 19 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 19^th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,400 events are planned across the nation. (See below for a list of local events.)

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

This year, Kick Butts Day comes as new information reaffirms the urgent need for action. The United States is marking the 50^th anniversary of the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health, and a new Surgeon General's report released in January found that smoking is even more hazardous than previously thought. Key findings of the report include:

Each year, smoking kills 480,000 people in the U.S. and costs the nation at least $289 billion in health care bills and other economic losses.
Without urgent action to reduce smoking, 5.6 million U.S. children alive today will die prematurely from smoking-caused disease. That includes 150,000 children in Virginia alone.
Tobacco marketing causes kids to start and continue using tobacco products.

Nationwide, tobacco companies spend $8.8 billion a year – one million dollars each hour – to market cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. In particular, tobacco companies target youth with magazine ads, store ads and discounts, and fruit- and candy-flavored small cigars that look just like cigarettes.

"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. "Elected officials must stand with them by supporting proven measures to protect kids from tobacco addiction, including tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws and prevention programs. On the 50^th anniversary of the first Surgeon General's report, we need bold action to create a tobacco-free generation and end the tobacco epidemic for good."

In Virginia alone, tobacco use claims 9,000 lives and costs $3.11 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 13.0 percent of the state's high school students smoke.

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco in creative ways, with events that range from small classroom activities about the harmful ingredients in cigarettes to large rallies at state capitols.

March 19 activities in Virginia include:

Members of the Influence Club at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria will participate in a walking tobacco audit of local stores, starting with a press conference at the high school featuring Alexandria Mayor William Euille and Emma West, president of the Influence Club. Following the press conference, youth will travel in teams accompanied by an adult to multiple local stores. Time: 3:30 PM. Location: 3330 King Street, Alexandria. Contact: Noraine Buttar (703) 746-3670.

Students in the Loudoun County Tobacco Targets Me Program in Leesburg will participate in a "What's in a Cigarette?!" event at the Fields of Leesburg apartment complex. The students will also develop a "What Does the Smoker Say" video for YouTube, which will be uploaded before the event. Time: 3 PM. Location: 75 Plaza Street Northeast, Leesburg. Contact: Roy Funes (703) 597-2180.

Students at Providence Middle School in Richmond will participate in an after school assembly to watch student-developed videos detailing why they choose not to smoke. Following the event, the students' videos will also being entered into a video contest held by the Science Museum of Virginia. Time: 2:30 PM. Location: 900 Starlight Lane, Richmond. Contact: Jennifer Farrow (757) 870-9123.

For a full list of Kick Butts Day events in Virginia, visit http://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