WASHINGTON, March 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids in
North Dakota will unite against
tobacco use on March 20 as they join
thousands of young people nationwide to mark Kick Butts Day, an
annual day of youth activism sponsored by the Campaign for
Tobacco-Free Kids. More than 1,000 events are planned across
the United States (see below for a
list of local events).
This year, kids are focused on kicking Juul, the e-cigarette
that has become enormously popular among youth across the
country.
While cigarette smoking among high school students nationwide
has fallen to 8.1 percent, e-cigarette use among high schoolers
rose by an alarming 78 percent in 2018 alone – to 20.8 percent of
the student population. In 2018, more than 3.6 million middle and
high school students used e-cigarettes. U.S. public health leaders
have called youth e-cigarette use an "epidemic" that is addicting a
new generation of kids.
In North Dakota, 20.6 percent
of high school students use e-cigarettes, while 12.6 percent smoke
cigarettes. Tobacco use claims 1,000 lives in North Dakota and costs the state $326 million in health care bills each year.
On Kick Butts Day, youth and health advocates are calling for
strong action to reverse the youth e-cigarette epidemic. In
particular, they are calling on the Food and Drug Administration,
states and cities to ban all flavored tobacco products, including
e-cigarettes in flavors like cotton candy, gummy bear and mango
that tempt kids. Other effective strategies to reduce youth tobacco
use include laws raising the tobacco sale age to 21, significant
tobacco tax increases, comprehensive smoke-free laws and
well-funded tobacco prevention programs.
"This year on Kick Butts Day, we're challenging policy makers at
every level to do their part to reverse the youth e-cigarette
epidemic and continue driving down youth tobacco use," said
Matthew L. Myers, President of the
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "We cannot allow e-cigarettes,
especially Juul, to addict another generation and reverse the
enormous progress we've made in reducing youth tobacco use."
Key facts about e-cigarettes include:
- The main cause of the youth e-cigarette epidemic is Juul, which
looks like a computer flash drive, is small and easy to hide,
delivers a powerful dose of nicotine, and comes in kid-friendly
flavors like mango, fruit and mint. According to the manufacturer,
each Juul "pod" (cartridge) delivers as much nicotine as a pack of
20 cigarettes.
- E-cigarettes pose serious health risks for kids. The U.S.
Surgeon General has found that youth use of nicotine in any form –
including e-cigarettes – is unsafe, causes addiction and can harm
the developing adolescent brain, affecting learning, memory and
attention. Studies also show that young people who use e-cigarettes
are more likely to become cigarette smokers.
On Kick Butts Day, youth join in creative events including
signing pledges to be tobacco-free, learning about the harmful
chemicals in tobacco products and organizing rallies at state
capitols.
In North Dakota, activities
include:
Students from Students Against Destructive Decisions!
(SADD) in Fessenden
will commit to being tobacco-free, encourage Fessenden-Bowdon Public School students and
loved ones to quit smoking by constructing, advocate for raising
the tobacco tax, and sign a pledge wall. High school students will
be bused to local convenience and grocery stores to view how Big
Tobacco advertising targets youth. Time: 9:30 AM. Location: 500 2nd Street North,
Fessenden. Contact: Lanae Strand
(701) 547-3756.
Students from Hazen Public
School will mark Kick Butts Day by committing to being
tobacco-free, encouraging peers and loved ones to quit smoking, and
signing a pledge wall. Time: 12:00
PM. Location: 519 1st Avenue Northeast,
Hazen. Contact: Kris Krause (701) 748-2345.
Students at Central Middle School in Devils Lake will celebrate Kick Butts Day
with Ciggy Butts, a mascot highlighting the dangers of tobacco use,
during gym periods. Ciggy Butts will arrive with donations of
educational, smoke-free material and sports equipment for the
students to promote tobacco-free living. Time: 9:55 AM. Location: 325 7th Street, Devils
Lake. Contact: Kim Homan (701)-350-1044.
Students Against Destructive Decisions! (SADD) members at
Century High School in Bismarck will host Kahoots Trivia, an
interactive knowledge bowl highlighting the dangers of tobacco use,
to educate their fellow students. Time: 11:30 AM. Location: 1000 East Century Avenue,
Bismarck. Contact: Linda Striebel (701) 323-4900.
University of Mary students
in Bismarck will educate
their peers on the dangers of tobacco—especially e-cigarettes—and
encourage them and loved ones to quit smoking by constructing and
signing a pledge wall to commit to being tobacco-free. Time:
11:15 AM. Location 7500
University Drive, Bismarck. Contact: Kyle Darras (701) 530-3670.
All events will take place March
20 unless otherwise indicated. For a full list of Kick Butts
Day activities in North Dakota,
visit www.kickbuttsday.org/map. Additional information about
tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at
www.tobaccofreekids.org.
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SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids