Youth across the state of Mississippi will take part in Kick Butts Day Wednesday, March 15, 2017, as part of an ongoing effort to educate young people on the dangerous effects of tobacco.
Kick Butts Day is a nationwide event to encourage youth to join in the fight against tobacco and learn the facts about smoking cessation in a fun and educational way. The Mississippi Tobacco Free Coalition of Wayne Clarke and Jasper Counties is teaming up with Quitman School District Nurse Heather Sumrall to host activities that will educate Clarke County youth about the dangers of tobacco use.
On Wednesday, March 15, 2017, bring your youth out to Quitman Train Depot (100 Railroad Road, Quitman, MS) @10am-2pm to celebrate youth leadership and activism against tobacco use for the 1st Annual Kick Butts Day event.
Education and advocacy is the key to reducing smoking and tobacco use rates among youth in Mississippi, where 4.1 percent of public middle school students currently smoke cigarettes, according to the 2014 Mississippi Youth Tobacco Survey. The survey also concluded that 18,828 public middle school students reported having tried a cigarette at least once.
In Mississippi alone, the tobacco industry spends approximately $121.4 million per year to market their harmful products. We may not have a marketing budget comparable to that of tobacco companies, but we hope to counter their advertisements by educating and empowering Mississippi's youth with Kick Butts Day activities.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing approximately 480,000 people every year. This is more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, each year 3,300 Mississippi kids under the age of 18 become new, daily smokers and 68,000 Mississippi kids now under 18 will ultimately die prematurely from smoking.
The Mississippi Tobacco-Free coalitions across the state have planned activities to kick off this campaign and educate students about how the tobacco industry is targeting today’s youth. While community events are a large part of Kick Butts Day, the primary goal is to foster knowledge on the dangers and harmful effects of smoking. For more information about Kick Butts Day activities, visit www.kicksbuttsday.org.
For more information on tobacco prevention programs and other youth events, call Pamela at 601-671-8737 or the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Office of Tobacco Control at 601-991-6050 or visit www.healthyms.com/tobacco.
