Kick butts day

by Gina DeMent, Public Information Officer
Five County Mental Health Authority

Kick Butts Day, sponsored every year by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, is a national campaign to help kids stand up and speak out against tobacco.

This year Kick Butts Day takes place on Wednesday, March 24th. Thousands of schools take part each year in activities related to preventing youth smoking or using other tobacco products. Young people who smoke are at great risk for developing many health related problems, but the good news is that fewer and fewer young people in the country and in North Carolina are choosing to smoke.

Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. While the nation has made significant progress in reducing youth smoking, 20 percent of high school students still smoke.

In North Carolina, tobacco use claims 12,200 lives and costs $2.46 billion in health care bills each year.  Currently, 19 percent of the state’s high school students smoke, and 42,200 kids try cigarettes for the first time each year. Most young people begin to smoke at around the age of 12 -13 and as tobacco is a very addictive drug, it is often difficult to quit.    

Nicotine is considered the number one entrance drug into other substance abuse problems. Research shows that teens between 13 and 17 years of age who smoke daily are more likely to use other drug substances. The use of other drugs is part of the peer pressure that our children have to face. The earlier that our youth begin using tobacco, the more likely they will continue using into adulthood.

Teens like to act as if they are someone special or dangerous. By smoking they can act on those feelings. Because it is so forbidden, it becomes more alluring to teens. The problem is that when they take that first puff, they can become addicted. The idea that they are breaking the law or going against their parents and schools is an addiction within itself.

Kids like to get attention; it does not matter if it’s good attention or bad attention. They crave attention, and, by smoking, they get big attention. The other teens look at them in all kinds of ways, and the adults get upset and don’t know what to do. Some young people think that smoking is cool because they are influenced by advertisements or people they see on TV or in movies smoking, but most of those people do not even really smoke. They are just playing a part.

A lot of people put off quitting smoking, thinking that they’ll do it when the time is right. Only 5% of teens think they will still be smoking in five years. Actually, about 75% of them are still smoking more than five years later. If you smoke, it will never seem like the right time to quit, and quitting will never be easy. The longer you smoke, the harder it will be to stop, and the more damage you will do to your body.

Here are some reasons to quit sooner rather than later:

Most teens would rather date a non-smoker.

You’ll save money if you quit smoking. A pack of cigarettes costs about $5.00. Even if you only smoke a couple packs a week, you’re spending about $40 per month and $480 per year on smoking. Think of all the other things you could use that money for.

You only have one pair of lungs. Any damage you do to them now will be with you for the rest of your life.

The longer you smoke, the better your chances are of dying from it. One out of 3 smokers die from smoking and many more become very sick. Think about your friends who smoke. 1/3 of them will die from smoking if none of you quit.

Remember: Smoking can have serious effects on your life. The longer you smoke, the more damage you do to your body and your health. Most people who begin smoking as teens say that they wish they had never started. The decision to start or continue smoking is up to you, and no one can make you stop, but you should think really hard about whether it is the best thing for your body and your life.

Smoking is addictive and quitting may not be easy, but if you do quit, the benefits will be many. Become a part of the majority and choose to be smoke free.

Think for yourself and reject the pressure to smoke. If you are a young person that would like to quit smoking, call Anne Williams at 252.430.3077 for information on local smoking cessation programs, or call the Quitline NC at 1.800.QUIT.NOW (1.800.784.8669). You can also go on-line at QuitlineNC.com, to find out more information about quitting and how to get one on one support.

If your school or youth group would like a packet of information regarding the effects of tobacco on youth, call Anne Williams, Prevention Specialist at Five County Mental Health at 252.430.3077. Help young people protect their own health and advocate for a tobacco free environment.