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Mississippi Kids to 'Kick Butts' on March 21


WASHINGTON, March 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Mississippi 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 Mississippi, tobacco use claims 5,400 lives and costs $1.23 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 15.2 percent of Mississippi'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 Mississippi, activities include:

Students from Jackson will host a "tobacco free fashion show" at the Jackson Marriott in conjunction with the Department of Education Future Health Professionals' annual conference. Students will model chemicals found in cigarettes and parts of the body affected by tobacco use. Time: 1:30 PM. Location: 200 E. Amite Street, Jackson. Contact: Jacqueline Carter (601) 952-0894.

Students from Ocean Springs High School will participate in various games and alternative activities to tobacco use. Posters and giveaways will educate students about the dangerous ingredients in tobacco products. Time: 11:45 AM. Location: 6701 Old Spanish Trail, Ocean Springs. Contact: Kristina Mullis (765) 265-9169.

The Community Students Learning Center (CSLC) and the Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition will help high school students "Speak Up and Speak Out" at an anti-tobacco rally in Holmes County featuring nationally-recognized youth motivational speaker Lamarr Womble. The event will also feature an anti-tobacco proclamation from county government officials, anti-tobacco and smoking prevention mini-sessions, and a memory wall of loved ones who have died from smoking-related illnesses. Time: 8:30 AM. Location: 9479 Brozville Road, Lexington. Contact: Gail Brown (601) 613-0869 or Sharon Nettles (601) 497-9884.

All events will take place March 21 unless otherwise indicated. For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in Mississippi, 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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