1999 Award Winners National Winner East Mid-West Central South West Group Award

Gretchen Sneegas might be only 12 years old, but that certainly doesn’t stop her from expressing herself to the most powerful people in her state. This 7th grader has made a tremendous impact on the Tobacco Wars in Indiana. Gretchen’s tireless efforts to combat tobacco use among youth and to educate her peers about the dangers of smoking have earned her the 1999 Midwest Region Youth Advocate of the Year Award from the Washington, DC-based CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS.

Gretchen has shown an enormous dedication to anti-tobacco education and advocacy efforts. She recently pushed for a statewide ban on cigarette vending machines. Last year she educated lawmakers on how easy it is for children to access tobacco products with her testimony in the Indiana State House. Her speech, complimented by pictures of herself in front of cigarette vending machines throughout the state, demonstrated to the legislators how easy it is for kids to get cigarettes. The legislature passed a ban on vending machines in restaurants, but allowed them to stay in bars and the workplace.

"I was nervous talking in front of all those important people," said Gretchen, "but I knew what I was saying was important, too."

Gretchen is continuing to lobby for the removal of all vending machines in the state, recruiting student council leaders statewide to join her crusade to end youth access to tobacco products. She recently testified again before the Indiana Senate Government Relations Committee.

"I think it is important to get tobacco vending machines out of Indiana because they are the easiest way for kids to get cigarettes -- especially younger kids," said Gretchen.

Gretchen’s passion stems from some shocking statistics. Each year, minors in her state purchase 6.6 million packs of cigarettes and, if current trends are not reversed, 140,000 Indiana kids under the age of 18 will die prematurely from tobacco-related disease. The death toll bothers her.

"Kids think they can quit anytime," Gretchen said. "Instead, they end up addicted."

That is why Gretchen is directing a letter-writing campaign to state lawmakers and newspapers focusing on the use of state tobacco settlement money for tobacco control.

Indiana will receive more than $660 million from the tobacco companies through 2003, and will continue to receive similar payments of roughly $26 million per year from the tobacco companies unless the companies go out of business. In fact, last year, the governor and attorney general of Indiana invited her to participate in the historic signing of the $206 billion tobacco settlement.

"If just some of that money was invested into keeping kids from smoking, imagine how many lives could be saved," Gretchen said.

In her role as Youth Advocate of the Year, Gretchen will serve as a spokesperson for the CAMPAIGN at media events, share her views on tobacco control issues with both her peers and adults, work to increase awareness of the tobacco industry’s insidious youth marketing tactics, and encourage kids across the country to take a stand against tobacco use in their communities.