Kick Butts Day: Nails in the coffin

Wooden crosses filled the front lawn at E.C. Glass High School on Wednesday, part of a vivid display against tobacco use to mark the 14th annual Kick Butts Day.  The crosses, along with tombstones and a casket, represented the number of people who die each day in the U.S. from tobacco and secondhand smoke.

The display, part of a statewide and nationwide effort by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, included a proclamation by Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster at an afternoon news conference that also featured medical specialists speaking on the issue.

The campaign’s goal is to get legislation passed that grants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products.

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed tobacco advertising does influence youngsters, according to a statement by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The study found youth smokers preferred the brands most heavily advertised.

For more information, visit http://www.kickbuttsday.org or http://www.tobaccofreekids.org.