Students at the Resiliency Preparatory School participated in the state-wide activities to take action against Big Tobacco on March 21, 2012, the 17th annual Kick Butts Day. The Day is designed for thousands of young people in every state and around the world to speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco, the manufactures and purveyors of tobacco products that specifically target youth. Hundreds of young people went to Boston that day as part of The 84 group's effort to make legislators aware of the targeting of youth by tobacco companies. Cigarette smoking among high school students has also been declining since 1995, when it reached a peak of 35.7%  in 1995. It is now less than half of that at about 16%. In Fall River, however, the use of smokeless tobacco products is rising and, for the first time, exceeds the use of cigarettes. Tobacco companies spend $35 million a day to market their products, far more than states spend to discourage its use. Retail cigarette advertising and lower prices for single sale cigars and other flavored tobacco products increase the likelihood that youth will initiate smoking and move from experimentation to regular smoking. For more information, go to The84.org. 
 

(Top row) Markee Malone and Joey Novo point to their anti-smoking manikins that illustrate the health ill effects of smoking. (Middle row) Broseph Correia and Kelsey Richard pose in front of their manikins. (Bottom row, left and right) Anthony Carvalho and Markee pose in front of the posters they made illustrating the cancer-causing effects of smoking and the fact that cigarette smoke stinks. (Bottom row, center) Broseph, RPS teacher Darlee Pavao, Alexis Arruda, Markee, Anthony and Joey pose for a group photo in front of the display in the school hallway.

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