NYCHA Celebrates Kick Butts Day
On March 20, NYCHA recognized “Kick Butts Day” with multiple events at developments across the city. Led by Youth Leadership Council (YLC) members, Senior Champions, and partner organizations, the activities highlighted the dangers of smoking as well as NYCHA’s smoke-free policy.
Kick Butts Day is an opportunity for young people to speak out about the dangers of smoking, and more than 1,000 events took place across the U.S. and around the world. Several of NYCHA’s events featured young people working with seniors to promote discussion about smoking and health.
At Astoria Houses in Queens, youth and seniors talked about the dangers of secondhand smoke and provided resources for people interested in quitting smoking. The Zone 14 YLC led after-school participants in making markings 25 feet from the building, the distance at which residents and visitors can smoke at NYCHA properties.
NYCHA’s Smoke-Free Policy, which took effect last summer, prohibits the use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and hookah pipes in indoor common areas, within public housing apartments, in administrative offices, and in outdoor areas within 25 feet of NYCHA buildings.
At Washington Houses in Manhattan, the Zone 13 YLC and Senior Champions wrote statistics related to the dangers of smoking on the grounds, and steps led to information tables with more data, such as the types of chemicals found in cigarettes.
Also at Stapleton Carter Center at Stapleton Houses in Staten Island, the Jewish Community Center’s Tobacco-Free Staten Island program held a kick ball event to educate young people about the impact smoking has on the community.
Residents interested in learning more about Smoke-Free NYCHA or getting help to quit smoking can visit on.nyc.gov/nycha-smoke-free (and should save the date for World No Tobacco Day on May 31) or email smoke-free@nycha.nyc.gov.
