Students plan tobacco protest

Students were sorting and tagging shoes at Douglas High School on Thursday to get a total of 1,200 pairs ready for a march to the Legislature on Kick Butts Day, March 28.

The 1,200 pairs of shoes represent the 1,200 Americans who die from tobacco-related illnesses every day.

Organized through the Partnership of Community Resources, Youth Advocates for Prevention is the group of Carson Valley and Alpine County students rounding up hundreds of shoes from schools, libraries, the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the American Lung Association for Kick Butts Day.

Kick Butts Day is an annual event by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an organization created to raise awareness about tobacco problems and to support prevention policies. Youth from around Nevada will take tours of the Nevada Legislature and be recognized by both houses on March 28.

The shoes are labeled with toe tags, each with a message about tobacco facts:

"Death by tobacco is the No. 1 preventable cause of death in the United States every day."

"Worldwide, tobacco kills every eight seconds."

Other labels carry the names students have chosen in memorial: My grampa Alfonso, Bubby, Seth, Shane (Big Bro), Dad, Ruben, My Mom.

Cody Tinker, 15, started as a member of Teens Against Tobacco when he was in seventh grade. He's dressed as the "Mr. Butts" character in the group now called Students Working Against Tobacco.

"We had an assembly at Scarselli about tobacco and I realized it was a cause," said Cody. "I joined because my grandmother died a couple years before. She smoked and had quit, but it was too late.

"I thought being in the group would be great because I advertise to younger kids. I'm fairly short so younger kids relate to me."

The students and shoes will be at the Legislature 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28.

For more information, go to www.kickbuttsday.org or www.tobaccofreekids.org.

What: Kick Butts Day

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m March 28

Where: Nevada State Legislature building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City

Info: Partnership of Community Resources, 782-8611