Calvert County Health Department

Kick Butts Day, April 2, 2008

Kick Butts Day was launched in September, 1995 by The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and has expanded throughout our nation. Kick Butts Day is a day celebrated nationally by teens throughout the world to raise awareness of the dangers tobacco use carries. This is their chance to stand out, speak up and seize control in the fight against tobacco!

This year, Calvert Memorial hospital and the Calvert County Health Department set up a tobacco display at the College of Southern Maryland. The displays showed the chemicals in a cigarette smoke as well as how a healthy and tar filled lung take in air. Students were shocked from the visual displays and felt the need to speak up about what the tobacco companies are really doing to youth. As a smoker who is trying to quit, James Devault said he thought the day was a great way to reinforce the need to get the word out about the dangers of smoking. Lindsey Koranda, the Vice President of the Student Association thought she might speak at a tobacco coalition meeting to get her voice out.

Overall the message about tobacco was a success and hopefully people will think twice before taking that puff, kicking butts to the curb!