First Posted: 3/12/2015
There are times when getting what you want requires kicking a little …
Well, you know the rest.
On Wednesday, the mass of people who desperately want to keep our children from taking up tobacco will celebrate Kick Butts Day. It’s a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and help their peers avoid tobacco. All across the country, teachers, youth leaders and health advocates are organizing events to raise awareness of the tobacco problem, encourage youth to stay tobacco-free and urge strong action to protect kids from tobacco.
The day is the brainchild of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a national non-profit that has become a leading force in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll in the United States and around the world. The group works to save lives by advocating for public policies that prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke.
The group enlist thousands of young people across the country to put their own spin on the mission. In some states, they rally at the capital, meeting with legislators and advocating for stricter tobacco policies. In cities, they hold walking audits in which kids walks the routes to school and count the number of tobacco retailers along the way. Others put on art exhibits and installations to illustrate the dangers of tobacco.
Why should we focus efforts to decrease tobacco in Ohio? According to most recent statistics:
• 15.1 percent (94,200) of high school students smoke.
• 15.1 percent of male high school students use smokeless or spit tobacco (female use is much lower).
• 12,500 kids (under 18) become new daily smokers each year.
• 19.1 million packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by kids each year.
• 23.4 percent (2,087,500) of adults in smoke.
This is in comparison to the U.S averages of 15.7 percent of high school students who smoke, 14.7 percent of males in high school using smokeless tobacco or spit tobacco and an adult smoking rate of 17.8 percent. Obviously, we know the large number of deaths due to smoking and the costs to Ohio due to smoking in health care costs and loss of productivity. There is still much more than can be done and in Allen County, our focus remains on decreasing the number of youth in our community who are using tobacco products.
In the coming weeks, keep your eyes open for Activate Allen County’s call to action for area youth to get involved in advocating against the use of tobacco, especially within our youth population. We will be asking area youth to be a part of our team and assist us in leading the charge against tobacco in Allen County.
