California Kids Will 'Kick Butts' on March 19

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in California 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 441,000 children in California 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."

Health advocates in California are urging leaders to raise the tobacco tax and increase funding for tobacco prevention programs that protect kids and save lives.

In California alone, tobacco use claims 33,900 lives and costs $13.3 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 13.8 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.

Activities in California include:

Students in the Los Angeles area will participate in a "Flash Art" project on the sidewalks of downtown Los Angeles to raise awareness about Kick Butts Day. Students will be able to create artwork with anti-tobacco campaign messages, and adults can learn of the dangers of smoking. Time: 3 PM. Location: 426 S. Spring Street (between 4^th and 5^th Streets), Los Angeles. Contact: Alejandra Reyes (562) 309-7575.

Students from Sacramento City Unified School District will join the Asian Coalition for Tobacco Use Prevention and Assembly member Dr. Richard Pan to host a town hall meeting to encourage the community to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. Time: 5:30 PM. Location: Luther Burbank High School cafeteria, 3500 Florin Road, Sacramento. Contact: Jenny Wong (916) 716-7010.

Youth from various schools in the Crescent City area will march to City Hall to take a stand against tobacco and secondhand smoke, and advocate for city leaders to implement laws to protect kids from Big Tobacco companies. Time: 3:30 PM. Location: 377 J Street, Crescent City. Contact: Denise Doyle-Schnacker (707) 954-1881.

On March 20, members of the Youth United for Action Showing Tobacco Ain't Right (YUFA STAR) coalition will display socks to represent the number of people who die each day in the U.S. from tobacco and secondhand smoke. Time: 12:30 PM. Location: Pioneer High School, 1400 Pioneer Avenue, Woodland. Contact: Kerianne Hess (530) 666-8561.

On March 22, students from Eureka High School and Arcata High School Friday Night Live Chapters will organize a cigarette butt cleanup to remove the growing eyesore on the grounds of Arcata Plaza. Time: 12 PM. Location: 808 G Street, Arcata. Contact: Alex Hutchins (707) 267-6138.

(Note: all events are on March 19 unless otherwise indicated.)

For a full list of Kick Butts Day events in California, 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