FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                 Contact:   Amy Forward                                       

March 1, 2012                                                                      231-728-5180 ext. 101                                                         

KnowSmoke -Tobacco Reduction Coalition Fights Youth Tobacco Use

in anticipation of Kick Butts Day - March 21, 2012.

Members of the KnowSmoke Coalition in Muskegon County announced today that many local kids will join thousands of kids across the country who are taking part in Kick Butts Day, a nationwide initiative that makes kids leaders in the effort to stop youth tobacco use on March 21, 2012. 

As part of the Kick Butts Day celebration, the KnowSmoke Coalition will be at the Lakeshore Family Health Expo at the Muskegon Mall, 5600 Harvey Street, Muskegon on March 17, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free and attendees will receive information on quitting smoking, smoking cessation options, along with information on how to make a healthier lifestyle change.

With the generous funding of the United Way of the Lakeshore, the Lakeshore Lung program provides prevention education to over 4,000 school-aged students in Muskegon County each year. Locally, the members of the KnowSmoke Coalition work to educate the community through a series of media techniques, including a smoke-free theater campaign at local Cinemas, social media, and participation in community outreach events and health fairs. 

“Lakeshore Lung continues the work of educating our youth about the hazards of smoking and the dangers of secondhand smoke. More smoking cessation classes have been added to our agenda, as people are more actively engaged in quitting tobacco use. We also strive to help asthma sufferers, encouraging them to become educated about this chronic disease, and to make the public aware of what asthma triggers are and how to avoid them”, says Cyndi Powers, (seen at left), Program Manager for Lakeshore Lung.

“Kids are a powerful part of the solution to reducing youth tobacco use,” said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which coordinates Kick Butts Day.  “For Kick Butts Day 2012, kids are sending two important messages: they want the tobacco industry to stop targeting them with advertising and they want elected leaders at all levels to do more to protect them from tobacco.”

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people every year. Every day, more than 4,000 kids try their first cigarettes; another 1,000 kids become addicted smokers, one-third of whom will die prematurely as a result.

Know Smoke is a subcommittee of the coalition for Drug Free Muskegon. For more information, contact coalition chair-person, Amy Forward @ 231-728-5180 ext. 101 or aforward@access-health.org . For information on the national initiative, visit the Kick Butts Day website at kickbuttsday.org .