Colorado Kids to 'Kick Butts' on March 18

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Mar 13, 2015, 12:20 ET

State Leaders Urged to Support Tobacco Prevention Initiatives

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Colorado 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 Colorado, tobacco companies spend $123.1 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 Colorado, tobacco use claims 5,100 lives and costs $1.89 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 10.7 percent of Colorado'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 Colorado, activities include:

Ortega Middle School's Students Against Destructive Decisions in Alamosa will pick up cigarette butts in Carol Park and install no smoking signage with the mayor and local city officials. Time: 3:30 PM. Location: Carroll Park, Carroll Street, Alamosa. Contact: Fallon Crowther (719) 992-8357.

Youth from several Boys & Girls Clubs across the Denver area will organize a silent flash mob at Denver's historic Union Station and carry posters with #NotAReplacement. Time: 5:30 PM. Location: 1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver. Contact: Matt Watts (803) 427-2379.

Students from Greeley Central High School, Northridge High School, Greeley West High School and the Boys and Girls Club Jerry Pawl Clubhouse will participate in Kick Butts Day by creating a photo booth that highlights the fact that tobacco products do not require a license to sell in Weld County and will sign a letter of support to require a licensure. Time: 11 AM. Location: 1515 14^th Avenue, Greeley. Contact: Corrie Groesbeck (970) 304-6470 ext. 2123.

On March 20, Evolvement, Denver Public Health and the Downtown Denver Partnership will set up a board with tobacco statistics in the middle of the 16^th Street Mall in Denver. People can throw paint at the plank board and show that they are #NotAReplacement. Time: 4:30 PM. Location: 16^th Street Mall, Denver. Contact: Nicky Harter (217) 520-2801.

On March 28, youth in the TobacNO Youth Coalition will pick up tobacco litter in eight parks in Fort Collins to document a baseline before recently passed anti-tobacco legislation takes effect. The clean-up will conclude with a celebration in Oak Street Plaza to thank the city for passing smoke-free policies. Time: 12 PM. Location: W. Oak Street and College Avenue, Fort Collins. Contact: Christa Timmerman (406) 470-0127.

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