Locally, this year's "Kick Butts Day" on Wednesday is being promoted by the Tobacco-Free African American Project, whose focus is narrowed to Toledo's minority community. "Being a minority is stressful, and a lot of people in stressful circumstances lean on various substances" as a coping mechanism, Michael Hayes, a tobacco prevention specialist with the organization, said during an interview with Tom Walton, vice president-editor of The Blade, during taping yesterday of The Editors television program. African-Americans and Hispanics tend to start smoking at later ages than Caucasians, but "we smoke a lot longer, though, and we inhale deeper," said Kathryn Grayson, a tobacco prevention coordinator for the group, who also participated in the interview along with Stuart Kerr, northwest Ohio coordinator for SmokeFreeOhio. . . . The Tobacco-Free African American Project also sponsors programs to help smokers quit. This weekend, the group is conducting "Smoke Free Sabbath," during which baskets will be placed in houses of worship into which smokers may deposit cigarette packs, lighters, and other items for the group to collect and destroy. . . . The Editors will be broadcast at 9 p.m. today on WGTE-TV, Channel 30, and at 12:30 p.m. Sunday on WBGU-TV, Channel 27.


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