March 25, 2009

Students Join Together Against Big Tobacco

Five Nebraska students joined thousands of youth from across the nation in celebration of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Kick Butts Day. The group is encouraging youth statewide to join in activism and events in their own communities.

"Today is just really a day about getting out there and taking a stand against the Tobacco Industry," said Natasha Doty, a senior at Lincoln East. "We are just celebrating the fact that Nebraska is going smoke free on June 1st. It's just going to give every Nebraskan the opportunity to have smoke free air when they're dining, when they are working, in bowling alleys, in bars, just everywhere and everyone will be able to be exposed to smoke free air."

Developed as a national day of advocacy, leadership and activism, Kick Butts Day gives youth an opportunity to speak up and take action against Big Tobacco. No Limits is Nebraska's first youth-led tobacco prevention movement. Its 2009 focus groups will be the celebration of Nebraska's statewide smoke-free work sites law, which goes into effect June 1, 2009.

"The dangers of secondhand smoke are very real," said Amanda Mortensen, No Limits project coordinator. "It contains nearly 70 carcinogens, so there is no safe level of exposure. June 1 is the start of a new era in Nebraska - one that protects workers from secondhand smoke. Now that's something to celebrate."

"I think we are making a difference," said Doty, "because just any voice you can have out there saying that we believe that smoke free air is a basic human right I think can make a difference."

See the entire article and video of the coverage at: KOLNKGIN.com