OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — Youth from Tobacco Resistance Unit (TRU) from Weed and Seed Hot Spots at Siverly and East End in Oil City, including Keystone SMILES staff and AmeriCorps members participated in the #BlowBubblesNotSmoke Campaign activity, on March 20. 

Youth and staff blew bubbles instead of smoke at Monday’s Kick Butts Day event.  The group did a meet and tweet at #BlowBubblesNotSmoke in solidarity with other TRU in PA and youth around the country to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco use and nicotine as well as secondhand smoke.

KBD is an annual, national celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use and marketing tactics aimed at youth by Big Tobacco.

Nearly half a million kids ages 12-17 use smokeless tobacco for the first time each year reports Tobaccofreekids.org, and per the National Cancer Institute, there are at least 28 cancer-causing chemicals in smokeless tobacco.  Chew is also linked to tooth decay, mouth lesions, and greatly increases the risk of oral cancer.  Chew is also highly addictive and nicotine associated with interfering with brain development in youth and young adults.  Nicotine addiction is also connected to behavioral and attention disorders.

Nicotine is present in most e-cigarettes, hookah, Juul and vaping devices and as reported by the Surgeon General the same harmful results to brain and behavior apply.  Most kids do not understand that these devices also contain hazardous chemicals that put their lung health at risk as well.  The 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey indicates e-cigarette use has surpassed all other types of tobacco/nicotine use among high school students with use rates tripling since 2011.

For more information about Kick Butts Day, and tobacco facts presented in this article, visit www.kickbuttsday.org,  and tobaccofreekids.org.