 Kids Across America "Kick Butts" on April 3 Kids Call for Action as States Make Critical Decisions on Tobacco Prevention April 2, 2002
Kids are sending two powerful messages on Kick Butts Day 2002: They want the tobacco industry to stop targeting them with advertising and they want elected leaders to do more to protect them from tobacco. From mock-funerals for the Marlboro Man to rallies at state capitols to surveys of tobacco advertising, kids will be making their presence felt both vocally and visually. Coinciding with this year's Kick Butts Day, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) today released a new report on youth smoking that concludes comprehensive tobacco prevention programs and cigarette tax increases are effective at reducing youth smoking. "Research clearly indicates that tobacco control interventionscan be very effective in reducing cigarette smoking among adolescents. In particular, these include increased tobacco taxation and stronger tobacco control policies," concludes the NCI report, entitled "Changing Adolescent Smoking Prevalence." The NCI report and Kick Butts Day come as states faced with large budget deficits are making critical decisions about how much funding to provide for tobacco prevention programs and whether to increase cigarette taxes. Studies show the best state prevention programs are saving three dollars in smoking-caused health care costs for every dollar spent on prevention. "On Kick Butts Day, kids are standing up against the tobacco companies, and it's important that elected officials across the country stand with them by supporting proven tobacco prevention measures," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which sponsors Kick Butts Day. "States that have increased cigarette taxes and funded comprehensive prevention programs have dramatically cut smoking among both kids and adults, saved lives by reducing lung cancer and heart disease, and saved millions of dollars in health care costs. Even in these difficult budget times, tobacco prevention is a good investment for kids and taxpayers." According to the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 Americans every year. Ninety percent of smokers start at or before the age of 18. Every day, 5,000 kids try their first cigarette. Another 2,000 kids become regular, daily smokers, one-third of whom will die prematurely as a result. Nationally, 28 percent of high school students are current smokers. The National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids stated "nationwide, cigarette makers spend $8.2 billion a year, $22.5 million a day marketing their deadly products, often in venues such as magazines and convenience stores that are effective at reaching kids." On Kick Butts Day, kids will take their turns as leaders in the fight against tobacco. More information about Kick Butts Day 2002, including a state-by-state list of activities, is available on the Internet at www.kickbuttsday.org. Information about the deadly toll of tobacco in our society can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.
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