ABOUT US
Take Down Tobacco is the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ signature platform for empowering young people to fight Big Tobacco. Alongside a movement of elected leaders, parents, teachers, healthcare providers and advocates, we ensure young people have a seat at the table as we work together toward a tobacco-free generation.
WHAT WE DO
SUPPORTING & EDUCATING
- Researching and informing about the impact of tobacco use
- Training and mentorship to help young people become effective advocates
- Exposing the insidious and deceptive nature of the tobacco industry
TAKING
ACTION
- Advocating for strong, proven policies to reduce and prevent tobacco use
- Supporting elected officials who fight to protect kids from tobacco addiction
- Standing up and speaking out against the tobacco industry and its allies
BUILDING A MOVEMENT
- Cultivating strength through collective action and partnership
- Fostering strong relationships and healthy communities
- Fighting together for a healthier, more equitable future
NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
Save the date: April 1, 2024
On Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action, youth advocates across the country rally together to stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry. This is Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ signature day of youth advocacy.
Whether you want to plan an activity with your friends, join an event in your community, or make your voice heard on social media, there are lots of ways to make your voice heard. However you decide to get involved, we encourage people of all ages to stand with kids over Big Tobacco to continue pushing toward a healthier, more equitable future.
This year, we’re exposing Big Tobacco’s lies again and revealing who they really are: jokers who gamble with people’s lives. On April Fool’s Day, we’re raising the stakes and challenging young people to call the tobacco industry’s bluff.
Help us spread the word and tell local lawmakers to stand with us. Let’s go all in and take down these jokers once and for all!
OUR HISTORY
Youth have always been critical and powerful voices in the fight against tobacco. They encourage their peers to be tobacco-free, stand up to the tobacco industry and its deceptive marketing, and urge elected leaders to take action to protect kids.
In 1996, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids held the first “Kick Butts Day,” a day of action for young people to speak out against the tobacco industry and advocate for policies to reduce youth smoking. This event continued annually, with thousands of young people and groups participating every year. In addition to Kick Butts Day, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ youth advocacy program expanded, providing training and advocacy opportunities for young people year-round.
Over the ensuing years, the U.S. indeed ‘Kicked Butts’ and youth smoking dropped dramatically — but a new range of addictive and dangerous tobacco products like e-cigarettes emerged, threatening this remarkable progress. In 2019, Kick Butts Day rebranded to Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action — a reflection of both how far we've come and how far we still need to go to achieve the first tobacco-free generation.
Today, Take Down Tobacco describes the comprehensive youth advocacy program at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and we continue to organize Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action annually, along with many other youth-focused and youth-led projects.
BARRIE FISKE YOUTH LEADERSHIP FUND
Barrie Fiske was a tireless tobacco control champion committed to using her strong voice to fight for change. Born with cystic fibrosis, Barrie faced a real threat to her health whenever exposed to secondhand smoke. Barrie spoke up and advocated for everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air, joining Tobacco-Free Kids as a New York State Advocate and a member of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Board of Directors.
Barrie’s passion, persistence, creativity and unapologetically hard-hitting style never failed to inspire. While cystic fibrosis ultimately took her life in June of 2019, we honor Barrie’s legacy by naming our highest youth award after her—the Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year Award. We can think of no better way to honor Barrie and her deep commitment to our cause than to hold up her fierce example to the young advocates we recognize each year.
With generous support from Barrie’s family and friends, the Barrie Fund provides the foundational funding that takes our Take Down Tobacco Youth Advocacy program to the next level by engaging more youth as tobacco control leaders, putting our work on firm ground for the future and continuing to expand the role of youth in bringing about the change we need.
The Barrie Fund is a permanent part of what we do and who we are, and the youth leaders who receive the Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year Award are building a legacy to Barrie and the values she exemplified.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Together, we can achieve the first tobacco-free generation! Sign up below to receive Take Down Tobacco Updates.