Today is KICK BUTTS DAY! On March 24, thousands of youth in every state and around the world will STAND OUT … SPEAK UP … and SEIZE CONTROL AGAINST BIG TOBACCO. Kick Butts Day is a day of activism that empowers youth to take action against tobacco use at more than 2,000 events from coast to coast. Click here to find events in your area.
TOBACCO 101:
•The tobacco industry addicts more than 1,000 youth every day
•Worldwide, tobacco use kills one person every 6.4 seconds
•Big Tobacco spends more than 13.3 billion an year on deceptive advertising and marketing. •Adult male smokers lose an average of 13 years of life.
•Worldwide, tobacco use kills one person every 6.4 seconds
•Big Tobacco spends more than 13.3 billion an year on deceptive advertising and marketing. •Adult male smokers lose an average of 13 years of life.
•Almost 90 percent of adults who have ever been regular smokers began smoking by the time they were 18.
•Tobacco companies spend over $23 million a year on lobbying in the U.S. Congress and contributions to federal candidates and political parties
•People who consume 8-10 dips or chews per day of spit tobacco receive the same amount of nicotine as a smoker who smokes 30-40 cigarettes a day.
•Tobacco companies spend over $23 million a year on lobbying in the U.S. Congress and contributions to federal candidates and political parties
•People who consume 8-10 dips or chews per day of spit tobacco receive the same amount of nicotine as a smoker who smokes 30-40 cigarettes a day.
Claim:
Smokers have a right to smoke if they want to. It's their choice. Smoke-free laws and tobacco tax increases take away their freedom.
The Facts: There is no right to smoke. No court has ever recognized smoking as a protected right. Plus, decreasing tobacco use is in the interest of public health. Additionally, many smokers would like to quit smoking but cannot because they are addicted. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "research suggests that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol" and 70% of current U.S. adult smokers would like to quit smoking.
Also, smoking does not just harm the smoker. According to the CDC, nearly 50,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer and heart disease because of secondhand smoke exposure.
Claim: Cigarette tax increases do not reduce youth smoking (or any smoking).
The Facts: Cigarette tax increases do reduce smoking rates. In fact, every 10 percent increase in the retail price of cigarettes reduces overall cigarette consumption by approximately three to five percent. Among youth, it reduces smoking by six or seven percent. Actually, the cigarette companies have stated, both publicly and in internal company documents, that raising cigarette prices reduces smoking, especially among kids. The fact is well proven by scientific research and by the actual experiences of states that have raised their tax rates.
If you, or someone you love, is trying to stop smoking and looking for smoking cessation information, check out this website for resources to help you or your loved one. Need additional reasons to quit smoking? Check out the health benefits below...
When Smokers Quit—The Health Benefits Over Time
20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
(Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification, Mahmud, A, Feely, J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183.)
12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1988, p. 202)
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp.193, 194,196, 285, 323)
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304)
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)
5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. vi, 131, 148, 152, 155, 164,166)
15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's.
(US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi)
Last Medical Review: 10/22/2008
Last Revised: 10/22/2008
Resources: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
Resources: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
American Cancer Society
Related Links: http://kickbutts.org
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