Students ready to ‘Kick BUTTS’

SOAR High teams with SFOA AV to clean up cigarettes

PALMDALE — The Smoke-Free Outdoor Areas Antelope Valley Coalition, in collaboration with SOAR High School Environmental Club and New Colors Project, will conduct a Cigarette Butt Clean-Up activity called “Let’s Kick BUTTS this Summer.”

The event will be from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Domenic Massari Park, 37716 55th St. East in Palmdale and on from 8 a.m. to noon on June 26 at American Heroes Park, 701 West Kettering St. in Lancaster.

The goal of these events is to engage and educate community members on second-hand smoke and tobacco waste in the community.

Based on the American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2021 Report, the City of Palmdale has a smoke-free outdoor air grade of D. There is still work to be done to protect the Palmdale community from second-hand smoke to improve their quality of life.

The City of Lancaster has a smokefree outdoor air grade of F because the city has a smoking restriction in only some types of service areas such as bus stops, but nowhere else in the city.

The SFOA AV Coalition advocates for more smoke-free outdoor areas in the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster. The residents experience various health consequences such as asthma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema due to exposure of second-hand smoke.

The coalition promotes that everyone has a right to breathe clean healthy air, especially where people live. There are nearly 70 cancer-causing chemicals in second-hand smoke from cigarettes — even brief exposure to these toxic chemicals is dangerous.

Second-hand smoke from cigarettes and other tobacco products that are burned (e.g., cigars, cigarillos, hookah) are very harmful. The U.S. Surgeon General continues to warn the public that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

This clean up activity will be conducted safely. Clean up materials will be provided and all participants are required to wear a mask and to practice social distancing by staying at least six feet from others.

To participate in this event, contact Adel Domingo at adomingo@avph. org

COURTESY OF CITY OF PALMDALE Domenic Massari Park in Palmdale is one of two parks the Smoke-Free Outdoor Areas Antelope Valley Coalition and SOAR High School’s Environmental Club and New Colors Project will conduct their Cigarette Butt Clean-Up activity called “Let’s Kick BUTTS this Summer.”