THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY SAYLOR, TALLMAN, GILLESPIE, MILLER, GROVE, DePASQUALE, BEYER, BOYD, BRENNAN, BURNS, COHEN, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, DELOZIER, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HUTCHINSON, JOHNSON, KAUFFMAN, KORTZ, KOTIK, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, McCALL, MELIO, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILNE, MOUL, MUNDY, MUSTIO, OBERLANDER, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, QUINN, READSHAW, ROSS, SAINATO, SANTONI, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, SONNEY, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, TRUE, TURZAI, VEREB, VULAKOVICH AND WALKO, MARCH 19, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MARCH 19, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Designating March 25, 2009, as "Kick Butts Day" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, The tobacco industry spends more than $15.4 billion

a year, more than $40.8 million a day, $1.7 million in one hour,

$58,000 every two minutes--the time it takes to brush your

teeth--on advertising and marketing its deadly products, much of

it aimed at children and youth; and

WHEREAS, In this nation alone, tobacco use costs $96 billion

in health care every year, which is an increase of $7 billion

over last year's costs, and the average Commonwealth household

now pays $638 a year and each of us who is a Federal and State

taxpayer must forfeit $6,124.80 a year just to cover the tobacco

smoking caused tax burden and related government spending, even

if no one in the household smokes tobacco; and

WHEREAS, Each day roughly 4,000 youth under the age of 18 try

smoking for the first time, and more than 1,500 youth become new

regular, daily smokers, and one in three of these youth will die

prematurely because of tobacco use; and

WHEREAS, Worldwide, tobacco kills one person every 6.4

seconds, 559 people every hour and 13,400 people every day, with

one American dying every 72 seconds and 1,200 Americans dying

every single day; and

WHEREAS, Almost 90% of adults who have ever been regular

tobacco smokers report they began smoking by the time they were

18 years of age; and

WHEREAS, Adult male smokers lose an average of 13 years of

life and adult female smokers lose an average of 15 years of

life; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative that visible, unified tobacco

cessation and prevention education efforts by community members

be launched to encourage all tobacco users to be tobacco-free;

and

WHEREAS, The "Kick Butts Day" campaign will be celebrated in

every community on Wednesday, March 25, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Businesses, government, law enforcement, schools,

faith-based institutions, service organizations, youth,

physicians, senior citizens, military, sports teams and

individuals from all other walks of life will demonstrate their

commitment to tobacco-free, healthy lifestyles by participating

in this campaign; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate March

25, 2009, as "Kick Butts Day" in Pennsylvania, and encourage

citizens of all ages to participate in tobacco cessation and

prevention education activities to make a visible show of

support for our strong commitment to a tobacco-free community,

encouraging all youth and adults to pledge to be tobacco-free.