One of the biggest dangers I often tell my children about is smoking. Tobacco use seems to be on the rise these days everywhere I look, even with more and more non-smoking areas there are out in public. I was thrilled at the opportunity to help promote Kick Butts Day.  Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. Today there are more than 1,000 events in schools and communities across the United States and even around the world to raise awareness about this event today.

Kick Butts Day is organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and sponsored by the United Health Foundation. The first Kick Butts Day was held in 1996.

As you know, CVS has banned the sale of tobacco products starting later this year. CVS is also supporting Kick Butts Day, so to show our appreciation, there is a fun print-out campaign: http://www.kickbuttsday.org/updates/detail/2014_03_11_standwithcvs 

The United States is marking the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, and a new Surgeon General’s report found that smoking is even more hazardous than previously thought. Everyone is invited to #MakeTobaccoHistory.

For a full list of Kick Butts Day events in Missouri,visit http://www.kickbuttsday.org/map. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.