This year, Senator Rodney Ellis sponsored a resolution in the Texas Senate declaring March 20, 2013 Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day. A group of students from the Austin and San Antonio area joined Senator Ellis and TxSSC staff members in the Senate gallery to be recognized for their efforts.
March 20, 2013, is Texas Tobacco-Free Kids Day (TTFKD) - an annual awareness day in Texas that encourages students of all ages to live tobacco-free lifestyles.
Sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC), the goal of TTFKD is to get every school in Texas involved in the effort to help students make healthy choices by not using tobacco today and in the future. In fact, if you register your project on txsaywhat.com before your event happens, you can apply for a $500 mini-grant to help make your plans become a reality!
TTFKD is held in conjunction with Kick Butts Day, a national event sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in tobacco prevention efforts. On Kick Butts Day, thousands of youth throughout the country will organize activities to expose and combat the tobacco industry's powerful marketing strategies aimed at youth who aren’t even allowed to legally use their products. Some of the past activities include youth-led rallies in state capitals, surveys of tobacco advertising in local stores and street activism events.