Kick Butts Day!

One of the best days in March has arrived! Today is Kick Butts Day! 

Kick Butts Day is a day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco.

While tobacco prevention efforts have made great strides in the fight against tobacco, every day, more than 3,000 kids under 18 try smoking for the first time and 700 kids become new regular, daily smokers. Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people every year.

On Kick Butts Day, youth throughout the U.S. raise awareness about the tobacco problem, encourage peers to be tobacco-free, and support effective solutions to reduce tobacco use.

Some of re:TH!NK's very own youth in the Winnebago FACT group made a huge impact at a local middle school in Oshkosh. The group created a display board with 2 FACTs about tobacco and had their classmates vote for which FACT they thought was the ugliest truth. 

The FACTs they chose: 

1. Urea is found in cat pee, it is also found in cigarettes.

2. Methane is found in dog poop, it is also found in cigarette smoke.

At the end of lunch the FACT group counted up the votes and (drum roll please...) here are the results!

80 votes for urea in cat pee

vs. 

117 votes for methane in dog poop 

Students found the FACT that methane is in dog poop and cigarette smoke more disgusting than the FACT that urea is in cat pee and in cigarettes. And the general consensus of the group is that both FACTs were super disgusting!

The event was a huge success! Students, teachers, and staff were all interested and involved. Thanks to the Winnebago FACT crew, Ms. K, and all those at Perry Tipler Middle School. Happy Kick Butts Day. Rock on!

50th Anniversary of the Surgeon General's Historic Report

On January 11, 1964, the Surgeon General pronounced the health risks posed by cigarettes.
Fifty years ago tobacco ads featuring Fred Flintstone, athletes, and movie starts could be found all over in magazines and on TV. Smoke hung in the air of restaurants, bars, teachers lounges, offices, and airplane cabins. And there'd be a good chance that your family doctor was a smoker too. It's amazing how much we have learned in 50 years about the harms of tobacco products and smoking.

The turning point for tobacco prevention came on January 11, 1964 with the Surgeon General's Report. That Saturday morning, the U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released the official report linking smoking to illness and death - and suggesting the government should do something about it. 

In the decades that followed, warning labels were put on cigarette packs, cigarette commercials were banned, taxes were raised, and new restrictions were placed on where people could light up. 

Wisconsin has seen great progress in reducing tobacco’s burden.

• High school smoking dropped from 33% in 2000 to an all-time low 13% in 2012
• Wisconsin is healthier since the smoke-free law took effect in 2010
• Since the smoke-free air law, bars and restaurants saw a decrease in unhealthy air, bartenders experience a decrease in respiratory health symptoms
• The number of smoke-free homes in Wisconsin also increased from 74% to 80%
• The state’s Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line has fielded more than 200,000 calls

While great strides in tobacco prevention have been made over the last 50 years, tobacco's still a problem in Wisconsin, so we need to stay committed. More than 800,000 Wisconsinites are still smoking, and smoking kills more than 7,000 adults in Wisconsin each year. 

In order to prevent and reduce deaths from tobacco we need to reduce the amount of youth who start using tobacco. Each day about 14 Wisconsin kids become new smokers. Candy and fruit-flavored tobacco products that are more affordable are attracting the attention of our young people. 

Looking like candy, gum, and other products that appeal to youth these products have become much more popular among youth. A new CDC study found that nationally, 40% of youth smokers use flavored little cigars or cigarettes. 

These other tobacco products (OTPs) are harmful and addictive, plus they're marketed aggressively to youth and are inexpensive. The products hook youth early and keep them addicted. The candy and fruit-flavors disguise the tobacco underneath. But using any tobacco product has serious health risks, even if it is coated in candy flavors. OTPs are not safe, not fair, and not good for Wisconsin.


The blog post used info from this USA Today article for more info on the 50th Anniversary of the Surgeon Generals Report. 

e-cigarettes: A New Frontier for Big Tobacco Companies?

They are all over the media, celebrities are endorsing them, and yet without regulation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) e-cigarettes have no standards to follow or comply with. The short version- Americans know little about the risks associated with using e-cigarettes.

The Huffington Post published an article in early September - 9 Terribly Disturbing Things About Electronic Cigarettes The article gives a list to readers simply stating what is known about e-cigarettes.

        Biggest points from the article:
• e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals.  Specifically diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze.
• Kids across the U.S. are able to purchase these products because there is little regulation and they can be purchased online.
• Companies that produce e-cigarettes are creating them in delicious flavors like milkshake.
• Laws regarding advertisement of cigarettes do not yet apply to e-cigarettes... meaning youth are able to see ads on tv, online, and anywhere they may go.

With so much unknown in the realm of e-cigarettes it is best to play it safe and stay away from using. re:TH!NK also encourages you to do your own research and learn more about these products if you are interested, make sure to look at credible sources (example: www.iheartecigs.com might not be the best place to find and read unbiased information ;).

World No Tobacco Day wrapped up the month of May in style on May 31st.  The theme this year: ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.  World wide people looked over policies regarding tobacco and highlighted the improtance of make changes toward a comprehensive tobacco policies. 

If you or someone you know is looking to quit tobacco check out some of the below smart phone applications... a high tech way to help quit!

1. Since iQuit: This nifty app tells you how long it's been since you tossed your cigs aside, how much money you've saved (in euro, if you you're a super fancy type who buys those Gauloises abroad) and allows you to share your info with the world if you choose via Twitter, Facebook, email or text. Oh, and you can opt for your tobacco of choice: cigarettes, pipes or cigars.]
2. No Smokes: An interactive quiz asking you how long you've smoked, how much you smoke, why you want to quit, when you're quitting. You're asked to choose whether you're Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander or both or neither, though the answers don't seem to change much no matter how you answer this question. At the end of the quiz, which is navigated by a computer-generated voice with an endearing Australian accent, you're given suggestions on how to approach quitting. After that, you're on your own with this one.
3. Zombie Smokeout: A Zombie-themed video game developed by the American Cancer Society. You are the super heroine out to douse the world's secondhand smoke. You jump over smoking Zombies. If you miss, you are enveloped in a deadly cloud of Zombie smoke. It's a distraction. And a pretty good one.
4. My Last Cigarette: This is the "Scared Straight" app. It shows you how much you've reduced your risk of heart attack and lung cancer and the number of people who died from smoking-related deaths since you tossed your cigs. It also tallies your savings and the number of cigarettes you've opted not to smoke. (Downside: Lots of advertisements, though there's a 99 cent version that makes the ads go away.)
5. Quit Pro: A simple interface tells you how much time since you've quit, how much you've saved, how many hours of life you've gained. It also helps you identify triggers -- hunger, stress, boredom -- as well as motivators for continuing to live a tobacco-free life.