Lansing, MI – March 20, 2019 – Today, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association and the American Lung Association mark Kick Butts Day by calling on Michigan’s lawmakers to reduce the toll of tobacco on Michiganders.
As organizations dedicated to saving lives, we collectively continue to call on the legislature to increase funding for the state’s tobacco prevention programs. Currently, Michigan’s Tobacco Quit Line does not have enough funding to operate for a full year. We are asking the legislature to increase tobacco prevention funding by $250,000 in the Health and Human Services budget.
The use of e-cigarettes has become an epidemic among our youth. Legislation has been offered to add e-cigarettes to the Youth Protection Act, but this does not go far enough to protect our youth. We call on our lawmakers to define e-cigarettes as a tobacco product and raise the age of sale for all tobacco products to 21.
Today, March 20 is Kick Butts Day – a day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. Here in Michigan, we believe it’s equally important to mark this day by encouraging our lawmakers to do the right thing when it comes to reducing the toll of tobacco.
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