Kick Butts Day: Have a banana sundae and learn about a smoke-free UAA

Wednesday, March 19, 12-2 p.m. Student Union

Today is Kick Butts Day. To celebrate, UAA students advocating for a smoke-free campus will kick off their election campaign with a party themed "Go Bananas For Clean Air." The event aims to help smokers kick the habit and encourage UAA students to vote for a smoke-free campus during the UAA student general election in April. In keeping with the theme, there will be banana ice cream sundaes, banana costumes, opportunities for student involvement and information tables highlighting resources and reasons to make UAA smoke-free. Everyone is invited to attend.

Kick Butts Day is a national day of youth activism against Big Tobacco. According to the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend billions of dollars marketing to those ages 18-25 years old, the main college demographic. A Surgeon General's report shows most smokers pick up the habit by age 26, making college campuses a key location for prevention efforts.

The student-driven Smoke-Free UAA movement began advocating last year for a 100 percent smoke-free campus. On April 8 and April 9, students will vote on the issue.

According to a survey by UAA faculty members Gabe Garcia and Joy Mapaye, almost 80 percent of UAA students do not smoke and about 75 percent of UAA students support a smoke-free campus.

March Archive