Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Honors Madison Langer of Vancouver, WA, As Youth Advocate of the Year

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May 24, 2019, 09:35 ET

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Madison Langer, 18, of Vancouver, WA, has been named a Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Madison was honored for her leadership in the fight against tobacco last night in Washington, D.C.

Madison bravely shares her personal story of overcoming her own e-cigarette addiction with peers, lawmakers and the media to advocate for effective tobacco control policies. She has testified before the Washington State Legislature in support of raising the tobacco age to 21 and spoke at the event where Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill into law. She also works as a peer educator to help youth recover from their substance abuse, while also training over 70 youth to become effective tobacco control advocates.

"We are excited to honor Madison Langer as a Youth Advocate of the Year," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Young leaders like Madison are inspiring their peers to be tobacco-free by standing up to the tobacco industry – while also urging elected officials to take action to help create the first tobacco-free generation."

Madison and other youth advocates from across the country were honored at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids' annual awards gala last night in Washington, DC. The winners received scholarships to continue their tobacco prevention efforts and will serve as youth ambassadors for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States, killing over 480,000 Americans and costing the nation $170 billion in health care bills each year. Tobacco kills 7 million people worldwide each year.

In Washington, tobacco use claims 8,300 lives and costs over $2.8 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 5% of Washington's high school students smoke and 21.2% use e-cigarettes.

Additional information about the youth award winners and the toll of tobacco can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids