By JACLYN ‘JACKIE’ FRANKS, MPH
HHS Extension Educator, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, Kosciusko County

Jackie Franks

KOSCIUSKO — Kosciusko County is kicking butts. Cigarette butts, that is. Thursday March 17, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids is celebrating their 20th anniversary of the Kick Butt’s Day campaign. Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand up and speak out against big tobacco.

Events are organized each year to raise awareness of the problem of tobacco use in our community, encourage youth to reject the tobacco industry’s deceptive marketing, stay tobacco free, and urge elected officials to take action to protect kids from tobacco.

According to the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the Indiana State Department of Health, 25 percent of high school students in Indiana are current smokers or chewing tobacco, snuff or dip users. Also according to the YRBS, 14 percent of students reported smoking at least one cigarette daily and 8 percent reported smoking 20 or more cigarettes in the past month.

One of the notable activities that occurs during Kick Butts Day festivities is the Not a Replacement campaign. The idea behind the activity is that students today are “not a replacement” for the 1,300 American adults that die every single day from tobacco related diseases. Students share selfies on social media with messages such as “I am not a replacement, I am a ______” dancer, singer, educator, athlete, or healthy person; whatever they feel describes them.

On March 17, the Kosciusko County Tobacco Free Coalition and students from Milford School will be hosting two different activities for Kick Butt’s Day including a big tobacco dodgeball game and anti-tobacco messaging on the fence outside the school. The Kosciusko County 4-H Junior Leaders also have plans to be involved in these types of activities this year. Peer education is especially important when it comes to educating youth against tobacco. Many youth begin smoking because they think it is “cool” and they think all the other kids are doing it. In reality, the data shows that 75 percent of high school students in Kosciusko County are not using any type of tobacco products. The peer educators are making healthy behaviors the norm in Kosciusko County.

Join our youth on Thursday, March 17, and Kick Butts in Kosciusko County. If you or someone you know needs help quitting smoking, there is free cessation assistance available from Quit Now Indiana by calling (800) 7848-669. The Indiana Quitline also serves youth tobacco users ages 13 to 17. For more information about quitting smoking, visit this website, or contact Jackie Franks at [email protected] or call (574) 372-2340.