Tioga County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (TCCASA) is inviting local students to participate in its second annual Kick Butts Day campaign. Kick Butts Day empowers youth to stand up and speak out against tobacco use and the harmful marketing strategies used by tobacco companies. This national day of activism was first organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids.
Tioga County students can join the Kick Butts Day campaign by participating in one of two contests that TCCASA is holding this month. “Letters of Love” is a writing contest open to students in grades 3 through 8. Students should write a letter to a loved one explaining why it hurts or upsets them to see others using tobacco products or thanking someone who had a positive impact on the youth’s decision not to use tobacco products.
“Not a Replacement” is a photo contest open to students in grades 9 through 12. Cigarette smoking kills 1,300 people every day. Tobacco companies have referred to youth as “replacement smokers,” and their marketing continues to impact young minds. To take a stand against Big Tobacco, students should take a selfie holding a sign that explains WHY they are NOT a replacement. Selfies can be posted to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtags “NotAReplacement” and “TCCASA.”
All entries for “Letters of Love” and “Not a Replacement” must be submitted using the designated registration forms. For registration forms and full contest rules, participants should email TCCASA at info@tccasa.org.
TCCASA will be accepting submissions for the “Letters of Love” and “Not a Replacement” contests from now until March 6. All participants will be invited to an awards banquet on March 18 in recognition of national Kick Butts Day, where the prize-winning submissions will be announced.
For further information, please contact TCCASA directly at (607) 687-6349 or by email at info@tccasa.org.
