Contrary to what it sounds like, Kick Butts Day is not a day of violence.
Rather, it’s a day to kick cigarette butts and all tobacco products goodbye.
Every year, youth and adults alike take part in this day by organizing school and community events. These events focus on discouraging youth tobacco use and saying no to smoking.
And this year, Kick Butts Day is on March 18, 2020.
So, get ready to cheer, because the day is almost here!
What is Kick Butts Day?
The goal of Kick Butts Day is threefold:
1. To raise awareness about the dangers of cigarette use in youth.
2. To pressure elected officials to pass laws that protect youth from the harmful effects of tobacco.
3. To make youth aware that they are being targeted by big tobacco companies, and encourage them to ignore these targeted ads.
With these goals in mind, schools and communities all across the country work together to organize events that promote healthy decisions regarding youth and tobacco.
Why is Kick Butts Day Important?
Unfortunately, many young children and young adults are unaware of the dangers of tobacco. Especially, when it comes to e-cigarettes.
According to the CDC, while traditional cigarette use is its lowest in 22 years, 31.2% of US high-schoolers use some tobacco product while 27.5% of high schoolers use e-cigarettes. This makes e-cigarettes the largest contributor to youth tobacco product use.
While e-cigarettes do not contain any tobacco themselves, they carry many of the negative chemicals that are found in traditional tobacco products such as nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol, and cannabinoid. These chemicals cause a variety of different issues in youth, like slower brain development, addiction, and lung damage.
The dangers of e-cigarettes and all tobacco products are real and cannot be overstated.
Worst of all, the tobacco product market actually targets young adults by inundating them with e-cigarette ads. Now, more than ever, children are likely to try an e-cigarette because they saw it in an ad.
Every day another 3,300 children try vape for the first time, and the money spent on advertising keeps on growing while the amount of people smoking goes up. Children are exposed to these advertisements everywhere: on the internet, in retail stores, in movies, on television, and in newspapers and magazines.
Ads for e-cigarettes are everywhere and they will not stop unless society puts a stop to them. Luckily, Kick Butts Day allows communities and educators to inform society of these very real dangers facing youth in the US.
How is Kick Butts Day Celebrated?
People of all ages are involved in celebrating Kick Butts Day.
It is an opportunity for seniors and youth to stand together, for grandparents and grandchildren to fight for a cause in unity, for teachers and healthcare workers and administrators and parents to fight altogether for safety.
So, this March 18th get involved and participate in Kick Butts Day to help our youth quit smoking and ensure safe, healthy decisions.
It is up to all generations to eliminate the dangerous health effects smoking can have on our youth.
