LINCOLN - Nearly a dozen student from Schuyler High School traveled to the State Capital last week to take a stand against tobacco companies.
PRESS RELEASE - Molly Kincaid, No Limits Project Coordinator
Nearly 100 Nebraska teens gathered at the State Capitol March 18th for a Kick Butts Day rally against Big Tobacco. The event was organized by No Limits, Nebraska's youth-led anti-tobacco movement, as part of the nationwide Kick Butts Day tobacco awareness campaign.
At the rally, No Limits Youth Board member Joanna Hejl of Lincoln spoke about how No Limits made her aware of ways tobacco companies market their products to young people. "This spurred me to look beyond the health consequences of tobacco and all the nasty chemicals inside of products and see the bigger picture," said Hejl. "Tobacco companies manipulate the marketplace by tapping into selected, vulnerable demographics and addicting them to their deadly products."
In 2013 Hejl was named Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which promotes Kick Butts Day events across the country. Through her leadership in No Limits, Hejl has helped youth across the state develop and conduct anti-tobacco activism events.
Fellow Youth Board member Kiley Carroll of Malcolm told the teens that they can fight Big Tobacco from anywhere. "There are no limits to what Big Tobacco will do to market their deadly and addictive products, and there are No Limits to what Nebraska's teens will do to stop them," said Carroll. "The students who are involved in No Limits are some of the most passionate and hard-working kids I know."
The No Limits group began the day by meeting with individual state senators to discuss tobacco issues affecting youth. At the rally, State Sen. Kate Bolz of Lincoln encouraged the youth to continue their work.
"Kick Butts Day is a great way to motivate young people to fight against Big Tobacco where they live," said Molly Kincaid, No Limits program coordinator. "Tobacco companies are trying to reach young people everywhere, and in Nebraska, No Limits will be there to take them on."
No Limits is open to all Nebraska youth in grades 7-12. To learn more or to apply for a position on the No Limits Youth Board, visit NoLimitsNebraska.com or contact Kincaid at 866-394-8336 or info@nolimitsnebraska.com.
Kick Butts Day is a nationwide event promoted by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to encourage youth to stand out, speak up and seize control in the fight against Big Tobacco. Additional information about tobacco use, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at tobaccofreekids.org