Tennessee Youngsters "Kick Butts to Fight Tobacco Use
National Kick Butts Day is March 21, 2012
NASHVILLE – Tennessee youngsters will join thousands of their peers across the country taking part in Kick Butts Day on March 21, 2012. This nationwide initiative encourages kids to be leaders in the effort to stop youth tobacco use.
“Young people are a very powerful part of the solution to reducing tobacco use among our children and teenagers,” said Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “Through participation in Kick Butts Day, kids are setting a healthy example and sharing this lifesaving message with their peers.”
In Tennessee, nearly 21 percent of high school students, or 73,000 teenagers, are smokers, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The organization also reports 7,600 Tennessee juveniles become new daily smokers each year. Statistics also show how deadly this daily habit can be. The group estimates 132,000 juveniles now alive in Tennessee will ultimately die prematurely as a result of smoking.
The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, can help by offering personalized support for Tennessee teens and adults who want to quit smoking. Callers are connected with trained quit coaches to guide them through the quitting process, and receive ongoing professional coaching with a quit coach personally assigned to them. QuitLine callers also have complimentary access to relapse prevention techniques, printed resource materials, information on nicotine replacement therapies and other services to help in the quitting process. This convenient and confidential service is free and available to Tennesseans seven days a week in both English and Spanish. The service is also available for the deaf and hard of hearing at TTY: 1-877-559-3816.
Tennessee residents can also access the QuitLine at www.tnquitline.com to enroll in the online program to get the plan, tools and support to quit smoking or using other tobacco products. Clients get fast, free access to a personal health coach, progress chart, interactive tools and other helpful resources.
The Tennessee Department of Health’s county health clinics also offer smoking cessation services to help both teenage and adult smokers kick the habit. Contact your local health department for details. A list of Tennessee’s health department locations can be found online at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm.
Kick Butts Day is a national effort led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. To learn more and find a list of Tennessee events planned for Kick Butts Day 2012, go to http://kickbuttsday.org/.