Phoenixville Hospital, Middle School Teaming to 'Kick Butts'

On March 20, 2013, students across the United States will participate in Kick Butts Day, a youth initiative, drawing attention to the dangers of tobacco use. Students from the Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) Club from the Phoenixville Area Middle School will be joining their peers nationwide as they participate in several local activities to support tobacco free living.

For the second year running, the TATU Club is partnering with the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA, Phoenixville Branch in the “Take the Challenge – Exchange Your Tobacco for Free Exercise Sessions” promotion.  The middle school students have created the posters and the tobacco drop-off boxes for the YMCA to use during the days surrounding Kick Butts Day (KBD). March 18 through March 22, the YMCA will offer FREE exercise sessions for all who wish to deposit their tobacco products in the drop-off boxes. 

Phoenixville Hospital will be lending its support to the youth driven initiative with a kick off presentation on Monday 18 at 7 p.m. in the YMCA lobby. Adults are invited to hear “The Wealth of Health.” All those interested in promoting youth advocacy, learning about the variety of new tobacco products being marketed, and supporting healthier communities are encouraged to attend.

Youth empowerment will also be on display at the Government Services Center (GSC) in West Chester the evening of March 20. The 4th Annual KBD Tobacco-Free Youth Writing Contest will culminate with the Awards Night at the GSC with the reading of the top teen essays chosen from across Chester County. The contest was open to all county seventh and eighth graders. As in previous years, Phoenixville Area Middle School students are again among the finalists.     

Remember the date and if able, come support some of these Kick Butts Day activities.  The fifty sixth graders who attended the February TATU Club meeting and the seventh and eighth grade students who submitted their personal stories to the Chester County Tobacco Free Coalition’s KBD Essay Contests are all hard at work being tobacco free advocates. Help celebrate their work.

The above was provided by Billie Goldstein BSN, RN, BC, CTTS of Phoenixville Hospital, Community Health Education & Outreach