Organizations urge students to ‘kick butts’
Students walk past the Tabacco-Free UK booth near William T. Young Library in Lexington , Ky.,on Tuesday, April 8, 2014. Photo by Ben Rickard
April 9, 2014
By Nick Ritter
The UK cheerleading squad and other students gathered at the Rose Street Walkway on Tuesday to promote UK’s tobacco-free campus and spread awareness of the dangers of smoking.
For fourth year, UK Kicks Butts Day celebrated UK’s tobacco-free policy, which has prohibited all use of tobacco products on campus grounds since 2009.
“About 8,000 people die (from smoking) every year in Kentucky,” said Fadyia Lowe, health education and marketing coordinator for University Health Service. “It’s a pretty day, and we’re just trying to celebrate that our campus is tobacco-free.”
A large white sheet covered in handprints hung off the Rose Street Parking Garage adjacent to the walkway. Each handprint represented five Kentuckians who had lost their lives because of smoking.
The event was put on by the Tobacco-free Taskforce, University Health Service, Student Health Advisory Council and College of Pharmacy.
“We’re out here to warn people about the sneaky ways tobacco gets into your life,” said Kevin Denehy, a College of Pharmacy intern who volunteered to help with the event. “We want people to kick butts.”
Chris Terry, also a volunteer from the College of Pharmacy, said students should be proactive in the fight against tobacco use on campus.
“The policy gives a person a reason to speak up,” Terry said. “To say, ‘Hey, this is a tobacco-free campus.’ ”
The policy has been effective, Lowe said.
“We’re seeing a decrease in the amount of smokers,” Lowe said. “Many of them say going to school or work on a tobacco-free campus makes them want to quit.”
Sarah Langford, a University Health Service worker, played the role of Alex Trebek at the tobacco “Jeopardy!” booth.
“I would say the policy has helped reduce the number of student smokers,” Langford said. “But unfortunately it’s still present.”
