Maryland Kids Will 'Kick Butts' on March 19

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Maryland 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 92,000 children in Maryland 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 Maryland are urging leaders to raise the tobacco tax and increase funding for tobacco prevention programs that protect kids and save lives.

In Maryland alone, tobacco use claims 6,400 lives and costs $2.7 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 12.5 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 Maryland include:

The Calvert Library will hold a red carpet movie premiere-themed event to showcase public service announcements created by local youth to promote tobacco prevention. Time: 7 PM. Location: 850 Costley Way, Prince Frederick.

Contact: Tiffany Sutherland (410) 535-0291.

The Western School of Technology and Environmental Science in Catonsville will celebrate Kick Butts Day by holding a flash mob. Students will hold signs and wear shirts with anti-tobacco messages. Time: 7:20 AM. Location: 100 Kenwood Avenue, Catonsville.

Contact: Doreen McAfee (410) 887-0840.

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

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