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Youth voices heard on Kick Butts Day

April 03, 2014

On Kick Butts Day, March 19, thousands of youth and public health advocates across the country stood up to Big Tobacco. In events in their schools and rallies at state capitols, they spoke out against the industry’s deceptive marketing – and their voices were heard.

Why is Kick Butts Day important? We couldn’t say it better than these supporters, whose messages were amplified in newspapers, on TV and in blogs:

• Interviewed on TV, teens from the 84 Movement in Boston said they recognized the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics of “price, packaging and availability” geared towards them, their peers and their younger siblings and they wanted to put an end to it. (“Teens fighting back against the tobacco industry,” My Fox Boston)

• Tyler Long, our 2013 National Youth Advocate of the Year, wrote a letter to Annie’s Mailbox, noting, “Getting kids hooked early is how tobacco companies ensure that a future generation buys their products.” (“Young people speak out against smoking,” Annie’s Mailbox)

• “The tobacco industry, right now, is targeting you guys and people younger than you, even children, by flavoring all of their tobacco products with candy flavors like cherry and grape, mint, all that. And the purpose is because they need a new generation of tobacco users — they need you guys to keep their industry going,” an organizer in Garden City, KS, told the teens at her event. (“Middle-schoolers observe Kids Kick Butts Day,” The Garden City Telegram [Kan.])

• Explained a teen in Indiana: “Growing up I saw a lot of people smoking, I saw that their kids were affected by secondhand smoke.” (“Kicking butts to prevent deaths from tobacco use”, Princeton Daily Clarion)

• Wrote Dr. Paul D. Banick, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare MidSouth: “The goal of Kick Butts Day is to create a tobacco-free generation, so we need to take action now.” (“Smoking still a real concern”, The Tennessean)

• Regarding the $8.8 billion/year tobacco companies spend marketing their products in the U.S., blogger Keonté Smith of Mommy 2K wrote, “Now, talk about something leaving a nasty taste in your mouth. That's an awful lot of money being spent to target and market cigarettes to MY kid, YOUR kid, OUR kids.” (“Kick Butts Day is Wednesday, March 19!” Mommy 2K)

Many youth groups raised the visibility of the tobacco problem in their communities with creative visuals or large-scale demonstrations.

• Nearly 100 Nebraska teens marched to the State Capitol in a rally organized by No Limits, the state’s youth-led anti-tobacco movement. Said one participant, “We are fighting for our mothers, brothers and significant others; our sisters, fathers, grandmothers and granddaughters. This war is personal.” (“Nebraska teens take on Big Tobacco at Kick Butts Day rally,” Journal Star)

• Kids in Bullhead City, Ariz., learned about advocacy by undertaking a letter-writing campaign to convince the city council to make their local parks tobacco-free. (“Kicking butts and taking names: Kids launch crusade for tobacco-free public parks,” Mohave Valley Daily News)

• Aspiring filmmakers in La Crosse, Wis., debuted their anti-smoking YouTube videos at a red carpet event. Said one: “We want to have a tobacco-free generation. Kick Butts is about kids’ voices being heard. Our voices are louder than big tobacco.” (“La Crosse students to use YouTube to 'Kick Butts,'” La Cross Tribune)

• In Woodland, Calif., students hung more than 1,200 socks on clotheslines to represent the number of people who die from smoking in the U.S. every day. (“Tobacco use prevention in Woodland: Pioneer High takes part in 'Kick Butts' campaign”, Daily Democrat)

• Even the undead came out for the big day: in Muskegon, Mich., and in Providence, RI, zombies roamed the streets to warn the living about the dangers of tobacco. Said one observer: “I think we've all lost somebody to tobacco-related disease, and it's time that we said, ‘Enough! We're not going to fall victim to tobacco-related disease anymore.’” (“'Knowsmoke Zombie Walk' shows students negative effects of smoking,” M Live.com; “Undead urge smokers to kick the habit,” NBC 10 News)

As Alex Higginbotham, our youth spokesperson for Kick Butts Day, put it, it’s never too early to get involved in the fight against tobacco. “No matter how young you are or what background you might come from, you have a voice, and it matters.” (“Youth kick butts in fight against tobacco,” 2 News WDTN [Ohio])

More great stories:

• “Bay Teens Tell Big Tobacco: I am Not a ‘Replacement,’” WTVY-TV (Ala.)

• “Kick Butts Day on Wednesday pits America's activist youth against Big Tobacco,” The Oregonian/Oregon Live.com