News you can use

A Kearney High School senior had a hand in planning an anti-tobacco summit at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and protesting Philip Morris International in New York City.

Dozens of middle and high school students marched from downtown to the State Capitol Wednesday with one thing to say: don’t smoke!

It’s all part of national “Kick Butts Day”, an event to raise awareness of big tobacco companies, and what the group says is their strategic marketing toward young people.

Spanish teacher, Janet Burger, suggested she consider joining No Limits, Nebraska’s youth-led tobacco prevention movement. Basilio decided to give the group a try, and was recently named one of the group’s 10 youth leadership board members for 2013–2014.

The theme of this year’s summit is “New Mask, Same Villain.” Sessions will examine the tobacco industry’s “new mask” of methods used to reach young people and encourage a new generation to become addicted to tobacco.

No Limits Youth Board members determine priorities for the program and plan statewide anti-tobacco events. The board encourages and assists local groups in organizing activism projects in their own schools and communities.

Lincoln High freshman Joanna Hejl was named the Central Region Youth Advocate of the Year in Washington D.C. for working to stop teens from smoking before they start in the first place.

The images alone make the message of Kick Butts Day very clear: Using tobacco kills.

Lincoln youth writes in to talk about why it is important to her that MECA have a policy restricting tobacco industry sponsorship at community events.

Big tobacco is developing new marketing methods to attract new customers, and No Limits organized a Fall Summit, teaching members how to recognize these tactics.

Madison Troshynski said, “I met a girl who use to smoke, but she was able to quit with the help of a friend and then she joined No Limits to join the cause.”

Kodi Broyles, MHS junior, commented on her experience at the summit, “I think it was very informative but in a way that it made you interested and made you think about the cause. It was great to meet other students that make the same choices as you do.”

No Limits is the name of a program that has a goal to fight big tobacco in Nebraska. It is a youth led organization, and clearly, the emphasis is getting young Nebraskans prepared to resist the temptation of smoking.