Oklahoma Kids 'Kick Butts' on March 24

WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids in Oklahoma will take center stage in the fight against tobacco on March 24 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 15th annual Kick Butts Day.  More than 1,000 events are planned in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (for a list of local events see below).

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Sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use.  Kids are sending two powerful messages on Kick Butts Day: They want the tobacco companies to stop targeting them with marketing for cigarettes and other tobacco products, and they want elected leaders to do more to protect them from tobacco.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and other public health advocates are calling on elected officials to support proven measures to reduce tobacco use and its devastating toll. As states struggle with record budget deficits, state leaders should increase tobacco taxes both to prevent kids from smoking and to raise revenue to balance budgets and fund critical programs.  States should also enact smoke-free air laws that apply to all workplaces and public places and implement well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

In Oklahoma, health advocates are urging state leaders to enact a strong, statewide smoke-free law that applies to all workplaces, restaurants and bars.  Kansas recently became the latest state to enact such a law. To date, 28 states and the District of Columbia have enacted smoke-free laws that cover all restaurants and bars.  These laws protect workers and the public from secondhand smoke, which is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses.

"On Kick Butts Day, kids are standing up to the tobacco companies, and Oklahoma officials should stand with them by supporting a strong, statewide smoke-free law," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.  "We know what works to reduce smoking and other tobacco use.  Every state should implement these proven solutions, including higher tobacco taxes, well-funded tobacco prevention programs and smoke-free air laws."

Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year.  While the nation has made significant progress in reducing youth smoking, 20 percent of high school students still smoke.

In Oklahoma, tobacco use claims 6,200 lives and costs $1.16 billion in health care bills each year.  Currently, 23.2 percent of the state's high school students smoke, and 19,100 kids try cigarettes for the first time each year.

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco with events that range from "They put WHAT in a cigarette?" demonstrations to mock-funerals for the Marlboro Man to rallies at state capitols. Activities in Oklahoma include (all events are on March 24 unless otherwise noted):

After successfully passing an ordinance in Noble to make all schools, businesses and city offices smoke and tobacco free, Noble High School will lead anti-tobacco youth advocates to Oklahoma City to urge state lawmakers to pass state-wide legislation. Congressman Scott Martin will present citation to the Students Working Against Tobacco (S.W.A.T.) team for being instrumental in making Noble tobacco-free.  Time: 10 AM.  Location: 2300 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City.  Contact: Cindy Jeffrey (405) 613-1549 or Gaily Hilty (405) 206-4705.

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In Oklahoma City, the Hispanic Latino Tobacco Education Network (H.LT.E.N.) and Latino Community Development Agency (L.C.D.A.) will distribute information about cessation programs and the harmful effects of tobacco and secondhand smoke to over 800 Hispanic and Latino families. A visual display of 16 mannequins will placed on the lawn by the L.C.D.A. building to illustrate the number of Oklahomans that die each day from tobacco and secondhand smoke.  Time: 9 AM.  Location: 420 South West 10th Street, Oklahoma City.  Contact: Oscar Ruiz (405) 201-1873.

The Tobacco Free Coalition of Oklahoma is hosting a luncheon symposium in Tulsa about tobacco cessation and implementing a tobacco-free workplace.  Businesses and organizations from across the state will gather on Kick Butts Day to share success stories and promote the health and financial benefits of having a smoke-free workplace environment and tips on how to provide smoking cessation programs and support.  Time: 11 AM.  Location: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, 7777 East 42nd Place, Tulsa.  Contact: Vanessa Hall-Harper (918) 595-4226.

Students Working Against Tobacco (S.W.A.T.) from Vian High School have been writing to state legislators to educate them about the abundance of tobacco merchandise available to young people and to encourage them to pass legislation mandating public spaces be smoke-free. To celebrate Kick Butts Day, S.W.A.T. students will educate their peers about the harmful effects of tobacco and secondhand smoke by announcing tobacco facts throughout the day.  Time: 8 AM.  Location: 100 Victory Lane, Vian.  Contact: Scott Galbraith, (918) 773-5475, x116.

Students Working Against Tobacco (S.W.A.T.) of Lawton Public Schools will showcase their anti-tobacco inspired artwork that expresses the youth's desires to see policy changes take effect in Comanche County.  Time: 3 PM.  Location: Museum of the Great Plains, 601 NW Ferris Ave, Lawton.  Contact: Ashley Herrin (512) 673-2631.

Note to the media: For a list of Kick Butts Day events in Oklahoma, visit www.kickbuttsday.org/events.  Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids