March 18, 2019
By:
Young people in DeKalb County will join youth all across Tennessee to take part in Kick Butts Day March 20, 2019. Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use.
“We are very proud of the young people in DeKalb County who are doing what they can to reduce tobacco use and help save lives,” said Michael Railling. “It’s very important that we raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco use in our state and community.”
DeKalb Middle School SADD Club will be taking part in Kick Butts Day this year by setting up a tobacco booth at lunch to educate their peers on the dangers of tobacco and e-cigarette use. The SADD Club also has a tobacco message, “Don’t Smoke, Its Not A Joke,” displayed on their school fence.
Statistics from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids show 9.4 percent of high school students, or 31,900 teenagers in Tennessee are smokers. The organization also reports 2,600 Tennessee children and teenagers become new daily smokers each year. Statistics also show how deadly this daily habit can be: the group estimates 125,000 children and teens now alive in Tennessee will ultimately die prematurely as a result of smoking.
Tennessee youth are making great strides in reducing tobacco use thanks to the TNSTRONG movement. TNSTRONG stands for “Tennessee Stop Tobacco and Revolutionize Our New Generation” and was developed by and for Tennessee teens. Join the movement on Facebook @TNSTRONGmovement, on Twitter @TN_STRONG and on Instagram @tn.strong.
The DeKalb County Health Department offers smoking cessation services to help both youth and adult smokers kick the habit. Contact the clinic at 615-597-7599 for details. The DeKalb County Health Department is located at 254 Tiger Drive and is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Tennesseans who are ready to kick butts and drop tobacco for a smoke-free life can also call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW to connect with a counselor for free assistance in quitting smoking. Learn more and enroll online at www.tnquitline.org.
To learn more and find a list of Tennessee events planned for Kick Butts Day 2019, go to
www.kickbuttsday.org.