Kentucky Kids Will 'Kick Butts' on March 19

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Kentucky 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 119,000 children in Kentucky 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 Kentucky, health advocates are working to pass a comprehensive, statewide smoke-free law that applies to all workplaces, including restaurants and bars, and protects everyone's right to breathe clean air. After 4 years of considering this legislation, it's time for the General Assembly to vote on the bill.

Kentucky has the highest smoking rates in the country and has to do more to protect kids and save lives.

In Kentucky alone, tobacco use claims 7,900 lives and costs $1.9 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 24.1 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 Kentucky include:

Students Making a Change in our Community will host an event at the Bourbon County Courthouse, where students will give presentations to elected officials, the local Board of Health and business owners on the dangers of tobacco use. Time: 12 PM. Location: 301 Main Street, Paris. Contact: Phyllis Robinson (859) 987-4637.

Students of Monroe County High School will display 22 T-shirts on the front lawn of the Monroe County Courthouse to signify the number of Kentuckians who die each day from tobacco and secondhand smoke. They will also hang 119 Frisbees from the surrounding trees to represent the 119,000 kids under the age of 18 in the state that will ultimately die prematurely from smoking. Time: 3 PM. Location: 200 N. Main Street, Tompkinsville. Contact: Kelli Long (270) 427-1232.

Students at Cumberland County High School will line the lunchroom with a paper chain representing the number of people who will die of cancer this year from tobacco use. During each lunch period, students from the Champions Against Drugs Club will ring a bell at intervals to represent the frequency at which tobacco kills. Time: 10:30 AM. Location: 912 N. Main Street, Burkesville. Contact: Karen Henson (270) 459-2240.

A scavenger hunt will be held at Russell McDowell Intermediate School for 4^th- and 5^th-grade students. Kids will search for informational cards that have messages about the ingredients in cigarettes throughout the building. Time: 9 AM. Location: 1900 Long Street, Flatwoods. Contact: Kim Shope (606) 922-3334.

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

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