Local Youth Stand Up & Speak Out Against Big Tobacco March 20, National Kick Butts Day

From UHS:

Local youth from Binghamton have seen enough marketing from the tobacco industry and will join youth around the country to stand up and speak out against big tobacco on Kick Butts Day, March 20.

In New York State, 107,000 high school students smoke and each year, 22,000 kids under 18 become new daily smokers. According to the Surgeon General’s 2012 report Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, youth tobacco use is a “pediatric epidemic and is caused, in part, by tobacco industry marketing.

Retailers in New York display an average of 32 square feet of tobacco products or the equivalent of more than 200 cigarette pack faces. In New York, 82% of retailers dedicate at least half of the space behind the checkout counter to openly visible tobacco products.

Kick Butts Day, organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, is a national day of activism that empowers youth. There will be more than 1,000 events in schools and communities across the United States and around the world.

“Since nearly all adults started smoking before the age of 18, parents and community members must be aware of the impact of all this point of sale marketing and take steps to protect our youth,” said Lisa Singleton, RN, UHS Stay Healthy program, “It’s our community and we want to protect our kids.”

For more information about the harmful effects of tobacco marketing at the point of sale, visit www.seenenoughtobacco.org.