Decorated tombstones with anti-tobacco sayings lined the
hallways of Barren County High School, and students visited
classrooms to educate their peers about the dangers of tobacco
for National Kick Butts Day Wednesday. The annual event,
National Kick Butts Day, gives youth nationwide the opportunity
to take a stand against tobacco. This year, there are nearly
1,300 National Kick Butts Day events across the country.
According to a 2011 Center for Disease Control and Prevention
survey, there is reason to be concerned for Kentucky youth. The
survey cites that 59 percent of Kentucky high schoolers have
attempted smoking and 24 percent smoked cigarettes at least once
a month. “There are at least 4,000 chemicals in each cigarette,”
said BCHS junior Braxton Smith to a classroom of students. “The
same chemicals that are in toilet bowl cleaner and rat poison
are found in cigarettes.”