Youth Against Tobacco

By Cece Chu

Smoking rates may be decreasing in the United States, but if you think that means smoking is no longer a problem in our community, think again.

Tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive substance, which makes it hard to quit smoking once you start. Which is why it’s concerning that more than 2,800 U.S. high school students try smoking for the first time each day. Locally, 6.3 percent of 8th-graders reported their first use of cigarettes before age 13, according to the 2013-14 Fairfax County Youth Survey. That translates into some 788 students. Across the nation, 16.3 percent of 12-graders report smoking cigarettes during the past 30 days, compared to 10.1 percent in Fairfax County.

Smoking kills an estimated 480,000 people annually in the United States, making it the leading preventable cause of death. It’s estimated that 5.6 million kids who are under 18 today will ultimately die from tobacco-caused diseases. That is, unless we do something to change it. Raising awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco saves lives, which is why we celebrate Kick Butts Day on March 18.

2015 marks the 20th annual Kick Butts Day, a day dedicated to youth activism against tobacco. Thousands of events will be taking place at schools and communities across the country to educate teens and the general public about smoking. It gives the youth a chance to speak out against tobacco and fight for a better, smoke-free future.

The Youth Council of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County will be doing its part for Kick Butts Day by holding an event for the 4th- through 6th-graders enrolled in the FACETS program. During this fun-filled event at Nottoway Park in Vienna, students will have the opportunity to learn about the dangers of tobacco by participating in a scavenger hunt created by the Youth Council and will get to enjoy an afternoon getting plenty of healthy physical activity.

We all can agree that nobody wants to play in a park littered with cigarette butts. So you’ll be glad to know that our scavenger hunt will be held at a park that is a part of Fairfax County’s Tobacco-Free Play Zone initiative, which was created with the belief that kids deserve to play in smoke-free parks.

The program has placed signs at parks and playgrounds all around the county reminding visitors to not smoke, and has gained enormous support from the community including the public school system. Importantly, this will reduce kids’ exposure to secondhand smoke, which causes 41,000 nonsmokers to die from diseases every year. With cleaner, smoke-free areas for kids to play in, our community will be happier and healthier. We encourage you to join us by cleaning up your neighborhood park or playground.

Educating elementary-age students about tobacco’s ills is important. The most recent Fairfax County Youth Survey found that 15.5% of sixth-grade students report that there would be no risk or only a slight risk of harm if someone smokes one or more packs of cigarettes per day. In fact, smoking is responsible for one-third of all cancers, including 90 percent of lung cancers. Additionally, smoking also causes other lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and increases risk of cardiovascular disease including stroke and heart attack. That’s some scary stuff.

Let’s make an effort to be a part of a good cause this Kick Butts Day. Help keep your friends and family stay safe and healthy by telling them to stay away from tobacco. Do it for their good and the good of the community. Be a Kick Butts hero!

Cece Chu, a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology, is a member of the Youth Council of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County.

The Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County is a nonprofit organization with more than 60 community partners working together to keep youth and young adults safe and drug-free. Visit www.unifiedpreventioncoalition.org and www.facebook.com/unifiedpreventioncoalition. Follow the group on Twitter at www.twitter.com/keepyouthsafe.