Tuesday, March 14, 2017 9:34 am

Cannon youngsters will join thousands of peers across the country taking part in Kick Butts Day March 15. Kick Butts Day is an annual celebration of youth leadership and activism in the fight against tobacco use.

"We want young people in our community to know they have the power to help reduce tobacco use and save lives in our state," said Cannon County Health Department Director Andrea Fox. "We applaud their efforts on Kick Butts Day and every day to set the example for a healthy lifestyle and encourage others not to start smoking, or to stop if they already smoke.

In Tennessee, 11.5 percent of high school students, or 38,700 teenagers, are smokers, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The organization also reports 3,400 Tennessee children and teenagers become new daily smokers each year. Statistics also show how deadly this daily habit can be: the group estimates 125,000 children and teens now alive in Tennessee will ultimately die prematurely as a result of smoking.

The Cannon County Health Department is actively working to reduce youth smoking rates as part of a statewide effort to lower the burden of tobacco use across Tennessee.

Tennessee youth interested in being part of our state's first tobacco-free generation are encouraged to join the youth-led TNSTRONG movement. TNSTRONG stands for "Tennessee Stop Tobacco and Revolutionize Our New Generation" and was developed by youth participants in Tennessee's first-ever FACT Summit in 2016. Join the movement on Facebook @TNSTRONGmovement, on Twitter @TN_STRONG and on Instagram @tn.strong.

The Cannon County Health Department also offers smoking cessation services to help both youth and adult smokers kick the habit. Contact the clinic at 615-563-4243 for details. The Cannon County Health Department is located at 301 W Main Street and is open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Tennesseans who are ready to kick butts and drop tobacco for a smoke-free life can also call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW to connect with a counselor for free assistance in quitting smoking. Learn more and enroll online at www.tnquitline.org.

Kick Butts Day is led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. To learn more and find a list of Tennessee events planned for Kick Butts Day 2017, go to www.kickbuttsday.org.