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Alabama Kids to 'Kick Butts' on March 21


WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Alabama will unite against tobacco use on March 21 as they join thousands of young people nationwide to mark Kick Butts Day. More than 1,000 events are planned across the United States for this annual day of youth activism, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (See below for a list of local events.)

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids logo. (PRNewsFoto/Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)

On Kick Butts Day, kids encourage their peers to be tobacco-free, reject tobacco companies' devious marketing and urge elected officials to help make the next generation tobacco-free.

This year, Kick Butts Day is focusing attention on the progress the U.S. has made in reducing youth smoking and the actions needed to create the first tobacco-free generation. Since 2000, the national smoking rate among high school students has fallen by 71 percent (from 28 percent in 2000 to 8 percent in 2016). However, the fight against tobacco is far from over:

In Alabama, tobacco use claims 8,600 lives and costs $1.88 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 14 percent of Alabama's high school students smoke.

On Kick Butts Day, kids and health advocates are calling on elected officials to implement proven strategies that make up a "roadmap to a tobacco-free generation." These strategies include tobacco tax increases, comprehensive smoke-free laws, raising the tobacco sale age to 21, well-funded tobacco prevention programs and banning the sale of flavored tobacco products.

"On Kick Butts Day, kids are celebrating the progress we've made to reduce tobacco use and building momentum to get us across the finish line," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Elected leaders in every state can help create the first tobacco-free generation by supporting proven strategies to prevent youth tobacco use."

On Kick Butts Day, kids join in creative events ranging from classroom activities to educate their peers about the harmful ingredients in cigarettes to rallies at state capitols.

In Alabama, activities include:

On March 17, the West Central Alabama Area Health Education Center will host an anti-tobacco booth at the Sawyerville Community Festival to highlight natural activities like hiking and fishing that are healthy alternatives to smoking. Time: 11 AM. Location: Lock 6, Sawyerville. Contact: Ada Webb (334) 507-0521.

On March 20, students from Red Bay High School will host a rally promoting tobacco abstinence in partnership with Teens Against Tobacco, Smoke-Free Shoals: Hope for the Homeless, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), and the Health Occupations Student Alliance. Students will sign anti-tobacco pledges, and demonstrate the costs of smoking with a canned food presentation, which will be donated afterward. Time: 8 AM. Location: 800 8th Street E., Sheffield. Contact: Melanie Dickens (256) 740-1626.

The youth council of the Dothan-Houston County Substance Abuse Partnership will chalk the entrance to the Partnership's office and host an informational table to inform the public about the dangers of tobacco. They have partnered with Durden Outdoor to display anti-tobacco messages on electric signs throughout the week in Dothan. Time: 4 PM. Location: 3124 W. Main Street, Dothan. Contact: Susan Trawick (334) 701-5772.

All events will take place March 21 unless otherwise indicated. For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in Alabama, visit www.kickbuttsday.org/map. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids


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