LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim Wednesday, March 16, 2016, as Kick Butts Day in the State of
New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official
days that are set aside to increase awareness of serious issues that
affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to memori-
alize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim Wednesday, March 16, 2016, as
Kick Butts Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with the Annual
National Kick Butts Day, sponsored by Tobacco-Free Kids; and
WHEREAS, According to the New York State Department of Health, every
year smoking kills approximately 25,500 people in New York; secondhand
smoke kills about 2,500 New Yorkers and an estimated 570,000 New Yorkers
are afflicted with serious disease caused by smoking; furthermore, it is
projected 389,000 young people, 0-17, from New York State will die from
smoking; and
WHEREAS, Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Kick Butts
Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to speak up and
take action against Big Tobacco at more than 1,000 events to be held
from coast to coast; the main focus of this day is on youth and tobacco
use, prevention, tobacco cessation, and reducing exposure to second hand
smoke; and
WHEREAS, On Kick Butts Day, teachers, youth leaders and health advo-
cates organize events to raise awareness of the problem of tobacco use
in their state or community, encourage youth to reject the tobacco
industry's deceptive marketing and stay tobacco-free, and urge elected
officials to take action to protect kids from tobacco; and
WHEREAS, The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leading force in the
fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll in the United States and
around the world; the dedicated members of this vital non-profit organ-
ization envision a future free of the death and disease caused by tobac-
co; and
WHEREAS, The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids works to save lives by
advocating for public policies that prevent kids from smoking, and help
smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke; and
WHEREAS, To achieve this monumental goal, the organization promotes
public policies proven to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand
smoke, such as higher tobacco taxes, comprehensive smoke-free laws,
well-funded tobacco prevention and stop-smoking programs, and tough
regulation of tobacco products and marketing; expose and counter tobacco
industry efforts to market to children and mislead the public; strength-
en tobacco control efforts in the United States and worldwide by provid-
ing support and information to our many partners; mobilize organizations
and individuals to join the fight against tobacco; empower a tobacco-
free generation by fostering youth leadership and activism; and inform
the public, policy makers and the media about tobacco's devastating
consequences and the effectiveness of the policies it supports; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness of
this serious health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at
the local, State and national levels to reduce the deadly toll of smok-
ing and protect nonsmokers from the clearly-established dangers of
secondhand tobacco smoke; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim Wednesday, March 16,
2016, as Kick Butts Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with

National Kick Butts Day, sponsored by Tobacco-Free Kids; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York.