Kick Butts Day: March 25

On Wednesday, March 25, thousands of kids in every state and around the world will celebrate Kick Butts Day (KBD) and take a stand against tobacco use.

KBD is the campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids™ annual celebration of youth leadership and activism among elementary, middle and high school students.  Some of the past activities include youth-led rallies in state capitals, surveys of tobacco advertising in local stores and street activism events.  These programs help to counter the tobacco industry’s powerful promotional strategies aimed at youth.  Research indicates kids are more likely to be influenced to smoke by cigarette ads than by peer pressure, and one-third of kids’ cigarette smoking experimentation is attributable to tobacco company advertising.

You may be asking, what is this special day and why should I care?  In Ohio, 21.6 percent (140,200) of high school students smoke, and 18,000 kids under age 18 become daily smokers every year.  Across the nation, each day, about 4,000 youth under 18 try smoking for the first time – and 1,000 more become daily smokers.

Even youth who do not smoke are at risk of secondhand smoke-related health problems. The latest surgeon general's report, titled "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke," states that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke for nonsmokers.  This does not bode well for Ohio’s 919,000 kids who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.

Every year tobacco use kills 18,500 Ohio residents and costs the state $4.37 billion in healthcare costs.  Tobacco use kills more than 400,000 people in the United States and costs the nation more than $96 billion in public and private healthcare bills each year. 

For more tobacco-related facts about the toll of tobacco use in Ohio and the United States, visit the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids™ Web site.

In the meantime, spread the word about KBD and raise awareness about the problems of tobacco use in your schools and community!  To order your free KBD guide, CD ROM or to register events, go to the campaign Web site.  Visit the “activities” section of the Web site for additional materials that are only available in the KBD online activity guide.