Maine:Maine students join in national anti-smoking effort - How about KICK FAT BUTTS?

Press Herald Online ^

[SheLion]

Kids in Maine will join thousands of young people nationwide today for the eighth annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,500 events are planned in all 50 states.

In South Portland, more than 60 students are constructing a large quilt of squares illustrating the dangers of smoking. The completed quilt will hang in the hallway of the Mahoney Middle School. The students will make the quilt throughout the school day.

In Westbrook, local middle school students at Wescott Jr. High School will culminate a weeklong Kick Butts Day campaign by distributing a "Butt" piñata to each homeroom. Students will learn about the dangers of tobacco use while striking the student-made piñata starting at 7:30 a.m.

According to event organizers, kids are sending two powerful messages on Kick Butts Day 2003: They want the tobacco industry to stop targeting them with advertising and they want elected leaders to do more to protect them from tobacco. From mock-funerals for the Marlboro Man to rallies in state capitals to surveys of tobacco advertising, kids are urging elected leaders to enact strong policies that reduce tobacco use and the toll it takes in health, lives and money.

In Maine, 24.8 percent of high school students smoke, and 3,800 kids become daily smokers every year. Smoking-related health care costs Maine and its taxpayers $470 million a year.

Nationwide, the tobacco industry spends $9.6 billion a year - $26 million a day - marketing its products, often in venues such as magazines and convenience stores that are effective at reaching kids.

Other Maine schools hosting Kick Butts events include Telstar Middle School in Bethel, Dixfield Elementary School, Dixfield Middle School and Mountain Valley Middle School.

[SheLion]

I think these fat kids should concentrate more on their diets and losing weight!

The Surgeon General put forth a report that obesity is the nations number one killer! Obesity has overcome smoking, poverty and alcoholism for death and disease.

Aren't the schools teaching these kids ANYTHING? SMOKING SMOKING SMOKING THAT'S ALL THEY ARE TEACHING THE KIDS. How about moving on to things that are more important!

STOP THE FAT KIDS!

[SheLion]

The ANTI's are super possessed!

[netmilsmom]

How good to see a post from you!!
Always the voice of reason....

[goodnesswins]

To get them to lose weight, you'd have to deal with their parents.....they feed them, mostly.....NOT that I don't think your idea is good. (But, knowing the fat kids in my extended family....it's the parents fault!)

[SheLion]

How good to see a post from you!!
Always the voice of reason....

Thanks so much! However, I am not sure if I am "the voice of reason" to some in here. heheh!

[SheLion]

The schools and the kids in Maine have tunnel vision. THEY WANT A TOBACCO FREE MAINE!

Ck this out:

Now, I am sure this fella is the sweetest guy on earth, but for heaven's sake, he is working at our HOSPITAL up here! I guess it's ok to be an OBESE HEALTH CARE WORKER but My God you better not smoke!!!!!!!

Now you KNOW this guy can't be in the best of health! And we have a lot of obese, though wonderful health care workers at our hospital, but this ban on smoking compared to their obesity is just about too much!

[goodnesswins]

LOL....you haven't spent much time in hospitals or clinics have you.....I've always noticed lots of the nurses have weight problems.

[SheLion]

LOL....you haven't spent much time in hospitals or clinics have you.....I've always noticed lots of the nurses have weight problems.

I think I mentioned up above about all the hefty nurses and health care workers we have up here. Must be the potatoes. hehe

[the Deejay]

How very sad these kids don't push a tough campagin against illegal drugs. (Apparently, they want to keep those flowing.)

[SheLion]

Yes! Like Estacy. Estacy is running rampant in southern Maine, and oxy conten, (sp)I hear. And we have lost so many teens this past year from drunk driving. They end up in twisted vehicles wrapped around trees. But my God. DON'T YOU DARE SMOKE.

Pitiful, isn't it...........

This is just another ploy for our health care system to "justify" their spending of the Tobacco Settlement money.

[Gabz]

I agree with you - I'm 5'10" and weigh about 120.

I'm sick and tired of footing the bill for the blubberbutts screaming at me about my smoking.

[metesky]

I didn't know so many kids in Middle School smoked.
;O)

Nationwide, the tobacco industry spends $9.6 billion a year - $26 million a day - marketing its products, often in venues such as magazines and convenience stores that are effective at reaching kids.

Get the picture here? Because some kid might see a tobacco add in a magazine or a display rack in a store the tobacco companies are "marketing to kids." What a freakin' load of hooey!

[Madame Dufarge]

In Maine, 24.8 percent of high school students smoke, and 3,800 kids become daily smokers every year.

Bwahahahahaha!

Wouldn't this sound more "scientific" if they said 3,462 kids?

Good to see the social engineers have an iron grip on the schools.

Wonder when they're going to stage "Teach us reading, writing and math" rallies?

[u-89]

I'm 5'10" and weigh about 120.

I sure hope that you're a woman! A friend of mine is 5'11" and 160lbs and he's pretty thin. Couldn't imagine him at 120.

[Great Dane]

Went for a check-up yesterday, one person coughed, and asked if someone was smoking, I said do, but not in the last hour, but, replied she, it makes me cough, she was there for a good 10 minutes, only had the ONE obligatory cough.

Then my doctor told me about a lady, he said, she is just like you still smoking, how she has managed to live to 89 is beyond me, isn't that a kick in the butt.

[Great Dane]

.it's the parents fault!)

But there is another way to control it......... tax fast food as much as they tax cigarettes....... seems fair.

[freepatriot32]

The completed quilt will hang in the hallway of the Mahoney Middle School. The students will make the quilt throughout the school day.

of course they are going to make it throughout the school day specifically because the schools havent taught them to read write or do math yet.they've been so busy brainwashing them from k-12 about big tobacco at this point in time i doubt that the students could sign thier own name to a petition demanding thes schools teach them the 3 r's like you want .But by god the chilluns can quilt with the best of them

[Mears]

Thanks for your smoking posts,especially this one.

Last year my grandaughter was in kindergarten.When my daughter(a non smoker)picked her up at school the child was quite upset and started crying because Grammy(me)was going to die because she smoked.

My daughter was furious and needless to say I was quite upset. We both contacted the school principal saying that we thought 5 years old was a bit young for a discussion of the dangers of smoking. I even asked him,sarcastically I might add,if they did drug and alcohol education in first grade and safe sex in second grade.

The schools are doing a poor job of teaching kids to read and they have trouble finding the U.S. on a world map but time is spent on smoking at age 5. MADNESS!!!

Please put me on your list for smoking posts,if there is such a thing.I've only been around Free Republic for a couple of months so I'm still not sure of protocol.

Thanks!

[lofterone]

In New York State it is a law to teach Drug Abuse. I agree that children are failing all other subjects and important classes to the future of the children are being cut because of being under budget yet they see this as being a must to teach and then making it a LAW! Alcohol and cigarettes are listed along with the illegal drugs, yet they are legal to buy and use. My grandchildren are also coming home from school and attacking their parents and me of being bad or going to die or we have a problem and we should go see someone to help us stop. These programs were backed by the drug companies and the anti-smokers hoping that this would be the case and we would run out and by the patch or the gum. Who better would we listen to than our children?
Hogwash.
Here's a wonderful quote:
"When an opponent declares, 'I will not come over to your side,' 'I calmly say, Your child belongs to us already...What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community." Adolph Hitler Nov. 6, 1933
I can still picture the children marching from the schools in Germany in documentaries. I remember hearing how they were so brainwashed to turn in neighbors and even family. Where is this new world going to? Scary.

[Mears]

Your post was frightening,but true.

My grandaughter came home from KINDERGARTEN last year,crying,because Grammy(me) was going to die because she smokes.

My daughter,a non smoker,was as angry as I was and we both called the school. The principal said he would look into it,etc.,etc.,but nothing will be done I'm sure. They have since changed schools but are still in the same school system.

When I taught school many years ago you would never discuss this type of thing with 5 and 6 year olds. They have enough on their plate just adjusting to kindergarten without upsetting them with this nonsense.

My daughter said she knows of at least two parents that smoke from that class. Can you imagine what their day was like.