Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Honors Michelle Li of Ballwin, Mo., As Youth Advocate of the Year

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May 25, 2018, 02:17 ET

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Michelle Li, 18, of Ballwin, Mo., has been named a Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Michelle was honored for her leadership in the fight against tobacco last night in Washington, D.C.

Michelle Li, of Ballwin, Mo., receives her award from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids President Matthew L. Myers.

Like many members of her extended family in Hunan, China, Michelle's beloved grandfather was a smoker, and he died from lung cancer. Back at home in Missouri, Michelle became an advocate for proven policies to reduce tobacco use. She was a leader in the successful campaign to raise the tobacco sale age to 21 in St. Louis, where she served as the sole youth representative on the Tobacco 21 STL Metro Coalition. She has also pushed state lawmakers to make the Missouri Capitol building smoke-free and to increase the tobacco tax. A senior at Marquette High School, Michelle will attend Cornell University.

"We are thrilled to honor Michelle Li as a Youth Advocate of the Year," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Young leaders like Michelle are standing up to the tobacco industry, inspiring their peers to be tobacco-free and encouraging elected officials to take action. They are helping create the first tobacco-free generation."

Over 400 public health, business, civic and political leaders attended the Youth Advocates of the Year awards ceremony to recognize Michelle and other youth advocates from across the country. 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 Missouri, tobacco use claims 11,000 lives and costs $3 billion in health care bills each year. Currently, 8 percent of Missouri's high school students smoke and 11.3 percent 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