Celebrate Kick Butts Day

March 1, 2010 – Help encourage young people to stand up against the tobacco industry by celebrating the fourteenth annual Kick Butts Day on March 24, 2010.

Kick Butts Day was started in 1995 by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids  (CTFK) as a way for young people to stand up against the tobacco industry, promote visibility around youth smoking, and let tobacco companies know that kids won’t stand for the barrage of youth-targeted products and advertising. 

This year, the campaign has chosen 100% smoke-free workplaces and public places, which include schools, as one of its focus areas.  Tobacco free schools, along with other workplaces and public places contribute to preventing kids from starting to smoke and encouraging those who already do to quit.

Kick Butts Day provides a great opportunity for schools to involve youth in an anti-tobacco campaign, and CTFK is providing resources and promotional materials for little or no cost.  To get started, download the 2010 Kick Butts Day Guide, and consider taking a group of teens to speak before their local School Board about adopting a comprehensive tobacco-free schools policy, or convening a youth panel to discuss 100 percent tobacco-free policy implementation and enforcement. 

For more information on tobacco use prevention through schools, visit NSBA’s National Consortium on Tobacco Use Prevention through Schools page or email schoolhealth@nsba.org.  The NSBA School Health website also includes a “Tobacco Use Prevention 101” packet, links to other useful resources, and a database which provides background information, sample policies, and more.  For ideas for quick, low-cost and easy Kick Butts Day activities already being planned in your community, please click here.