In 1999, 13 high school students from throughout the State of Delaware had enough of the tobacco industry’s tactics and decided to do something about it. So they formed an organization called the “Kick Butts Generation,” better known as the “KBG.”
Today, a decade later, they are 12,000 members strong and have made an impact on the health of Delawareans. In the past 10 years, they have advocated for stronger clean indoor air laws; cleaned Delaware beaches of cigarette butts; pushed for ID checks on tobacco purchases; and educated thousands of their peers about the dangers of tobacco use and smoking.
The KBG’s accomplishments also include:
• Advocated for tobacco-free beaches in Delaware
• Supported excise tax on tobacco products to deter youth from smoking
• Took on Hollywood and advocating for cigarette-free movies
• Running the Portable Anti-Tobacco ‘Karnival’ for elementary school students
“Delaware is so fortunate to have such an amazing group of teen leaders who are health advocates,” said Deborah Brown, acting CEO of the American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic. “The KBG has done a remarkable job of raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco; they are a role model for other teen organizations to follow.”
For Matt Coyle, president of the KBG for the 2009-2010 school year, the organization is really all about making a difference in how younger students view tobacco.
“If we can get kids in elementary school to realize early on that tobacco kills and that nothing good comes from smoking, then we have done our job,” said Coyle. “In the past 10 years, the KBG has tried to send a message to Big Tobacco that their tactics to get kids to smoke has got to stop. We think our commitment to educating youth about the dangers of smoking is working and we hope to be able to double our membership in the next 10 years so that one day, no teen will ever want to pick up a cigarette.”
For more information on the KBG, visit ysmoke.org or call 1-800-LUNG-USA.
