Y.E.S. Team Hosts Arkansas Tobacco-Free Kids Day on Capitol Steps - April 7th, 2008
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 31, 2008) – The Youth Extinguishing Smoking Team is hosting its first Arkansas Tobacco-Free Kids Day on April 2, on the steps of the Capitol. The kick-off at the Capitol is the first of several events that will take place throughout the day to promote tobacco-free lifestyles and expose the tobacco industry’s promotional strategies aimed at youth.
“Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in our society,” said Carolyn Dresler, M.D., Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Branch Chief. “It is important for our youth to be involved in activities such as ATFKD so they are aware how to prevent tobacco use and why it’s important.”
ATFKD is the local counterpart of a national movement called Kick Butts Day, which is sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Kick Butts Day incorporates a theme called Project 1,200 to represent the number of Americans who die every day from tobacco and secondhand smoke. ATFKD will adapt this theme to have a local focus: of the 1,200 Americans who die every die from tobacco, 14 are from Arkansas.
In addition to a kick-off at the state Capitol, the Y.E.S. Team will host a numbers campaign, which aims to show people how deadly tobacco really is by creating a visual metaphor for the fatal figures, and a take-it-to-the-streets event, which distributes quotes and facts about the tobacco industry in the community. They will also create a pledge wall, which allows people to make a pledge to quit or help their loved ones quit.
The Y.E.S. Team is encouraging Arkansas schools to send representatives to the events at the Capitol or to host Kick Butts Day events in their areas. For more information, visit yesteam.org or kickbuttsday.org.
