KIDS ACROSS FRANKLIN COUNTY ARE FIGHTING BACK AGAINST BIG TOBACCO

~Kick Butts Day is Wednesday, March 20~

Apalachicola, Fla. — Kids in Franklin County want you to know that tobacco kills no matter how big tobacco
sugarcoats it.

Tobacco Free Franklin is speaking up and taking action against flavored tobacco for Kick Butts Day, the
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids national day of activism that empowers youth to fight back against Big Tobacco.

Cheyenne Martin,” President of the Franklin County School SWAT Executive Leadership Council said, “SWAT
(Students Working Against Tobacco) at Franklin County School has been working hard to educate our community
about the dangers of Flavored Tobacco. We want everybody to know that it is packaged to target the youth. The
tobacco companies are targeting them which mean they don’t care about young people getting hooked on their
tobacco products, getting sick or dying.”

Sweet Deception
Nationally, the issue of flavored tobacco products has not gone unnoticed. Fruit- and candy-flavored cigarettes
were banned under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009. However, menthol
cigarettes, flavored cigars, cigarillos and smokeless products were not included.1,2

With cigarette smoking rates on the decline in the United States, the tobacco industry helps insure its livelihood by
marketing products like flavored tobacco to attract a new generation of tobacco users. Many children and teens
mistakenly believe flavored tobacco products are less harmful than their non-flavored counterparts.3 Once youth
start using one tobacco product, they are more likely to experiment with others.4,5

The tobacco industry also loses customers because 1,200 people in the U.S. die from smoking every day. 6 Yet
every day, 3,800 young people under 18 years of age smoke their first cigarette.7 In fact, nearly nine out of 10
smokers started by age 18.8

The younger youth are when they start using tobacco, the more likely they’ll be addicted. Nicotine addiction
prolongs tobacco use and can lead to severe health consequences.9

“Youth have always been a target for the tobacco industry,” said State Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong.
“Numerous internal tobacco industry documents reveal that the tobacco companies perceive youth as an
important target. In light of big tobacco tactics, we are redoubling tobacco free collaboration across Florida.”

Protecting Youth
Cities and counties across Florida have taken on flavored tobacco. On March 2010, Franklin County passed a
resolution urging tobacco retailers to restrict the sale and marketing of flavored tobacco products. To date, the
following cities in Franklin County have passed resolutions: The City of Apalachicola and the City of Carrabelle.
Learn more about the dangers of flavored tobacco at www.tobaccofreeflorida.com/flavoredtobacco.

ABOUT KICK BUTTS DAY

Florida Department of Health
FRANKLIN COUNTY

139-12th Street, Apalachicola, FL 32320, Phone: 850-653-2111, Fax: 850-653-1727
106 N.E. 5th Street, Carrabelle, FL 32322, Phone:850-697-4121, Fax: 850-697-8288

www.FloridasHealth.com
TWITTER:HealthyFLA
FACEBOOK:FLDepartmentofHealth
YOUTUBE: fldoh

Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against
Big Tobacco. Kick Butts Day is organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and sponsored by the United
Health Foundation. The first Kick Butts Day was held in 1996.



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