Kentucky Kids “Kick Butts” on April 2

Posted by admin

March 29, 2008

WASHINGTON, March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Kids across Kentucky will rally against tobacco on April 2 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 13th annual Kick Butts Day, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Hundreds of events are planned across the nation (for a list of local events, go to ).
This year, Kick Butts Day is raising awareness about continued tobacco marketing and sales to kids and the need for Congress to crack down on these harmful practices by passing legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products.
Ten years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, a new poll conducted for Kick Butts Day 2008 finds that kids still feel targeted by tobacco advertising and still find it easy to buy tobacco products. The national telephone survey of 507 teens (12-17 year olds) and 1,008 adults found:
Three-fourths of teens (74 percent) think tobacco companies want them to smoke, and 70 percent think tobacco companies target them with their advertising.
– Teens are twice as likely as adults to remember tobacco advertising. While almost half (47 percent) of teens recalled tobacco advertising from the last two weeks before the survey, only 24 percent of adults did. — Among teens who recalled tobacco advertising, the most commonly mentioned source was “in or outside a store.”
– Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of teens think it is easy for teenagers to buy tobacco products. Among 15-17 year olds, 76 percent think it is easy.
The survey was conducted March 5-10, 2008, by International Communications Research and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points for the teen survey and 3.1 percentage points for the adult survey. A report about the poll findings and the impact of tobacco marketing on youth can be found at:
To protect kids from tobacco addiction and save lives, health advocates are urging Congress to pass pending legislation (S. 625/H.R. 1008) granting the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to vote on the legislation on Kick Butts Day (April 2). Among other things, the legislation would grant the FDA authority to crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids; require that tobacco companies disclose the contents of their products and reduce or remove harmful ingredients; stop tobacco companies from misleading the public about the health risks of tobacco products; and require larger, more effective health warnings on tobacco products.
“It is unacceptable that tobacco products are the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, yet they are virtually unregulated to protect our kids and the nation’s health,” said William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “By granting the FDA authority over tobacco products, Congress can stop the tobacco industry from targeting our children and misleading the public. We hope Kick Butts Day will inspire our nation’s leaders to take effective action to protect children and save lives.”
At the state level, health advocates are urging governors and legislators to adopt proven measures to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, including higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free workplace laws, and well-funded programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
Since the 1998 tobacco settlement, tobacco companies have nearly doubled their annual marketing expenditures, from $6.9 billion in 1998 to $13.4 billion in 2005 - more than $36 million per day, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In Kentucky, tobacco companies spend $535.3 million a year to market their products.
Nationwide, tobacco use kills more than 400,000 people and costs the nation nearly $100 billion in health care bills each year, and 23 percent of high school students smoke. In Kentucky, tobacco use claims 7,700 lives and costs the state $1.5 billion in health care bills a year, and 24.5 percent of high school students smoke.
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 Kentucky include (all events are on April 2 unless otherwise noted):
Students at Adair County High School in Columbia will show public service announcements they have created over the last months during homeroom periods. Time: 7:30 AM. Location: 526 Indian Drive, Columbia. Contact: Ellen Zornes (270) 384-3400.
At Hopkins County Central High School in Madisonville, students will write and display powerful messages about tobacco’s toll on them and their loved ones when they erect a Graffiti Wall. At lunch, students will be able to visit an information booth to learn more about the dangers of tobacco use. Time: 10:45 AM. Location: 6625 Hopkinsville Road, Madisonville. Contact: Lisa Miller (270) 871-0342.
At Neighborhood House in Louisville, youth will hear Dr. Michael Bousamra, a thoracic surgeon, speak about the benefits of being smoke free as well as the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke. Time: 4:30 PM. Location: 201 N. 25th Street, Louisville. Contact: Ellie Schweizer (502) 303-5663.
Note to the media: For a list of Kick Butts Day events in Kentucky visit . Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at .
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids