In fact, these kids are kicking butt at kicking butts.

Tuesday, March 20, 2019 is a big day, especially for some Dolgeville youths. They are banding together for national Kick Butts Day, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Students in the Herkimer County Reality Check group at Dolgeville Central School are writing letters to their elected officials and asking them to take a stand against big tobacco companies and lobbyists.

The Central New York youngsters are hoping THEIR words send a powerful message to others.

This year, kids are focused on fighting against Juul, the e-cigarette that has become enormously popular among youths across the country.

While cigarette smoking among high school students nationwide has fallen to 8.1 percent, e-cigarette use among high schoolers rose by an alarming 78 percent in 2018 alone – to 20.8 percent of the student population. The e-cigarette habit has been deemed by health officials an “epidemic” that is addicting a new generation of kids.

In New York, an eye-popping 27.4 percent of high school students use e-cigarettes, while 4.8 percent smoke cigarettes. Tobacco use claims 28,200 lives in New York and costs the state $10.39 billion in health care bills each year.

More From Lite 98.7