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

Over the past two years, the state of Florida has become a leader in anti-tobacco youth advocacy. Among the thousands of Florida young people who have joined in the fight, Port Charlotte's Christina Scelsi has stood out from the rest as an outstanding advocate in the battle against youth tobacco use. As a result of her leadership and commitment on the front lines of the Tobacco Wars, Christina has earned the 1999 South Regional Youth Advocates of the Year Award from the Washington, DC-based CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS.

Christina, a junior at Port Charlotte High School, became involved in tobacco prevention efforts even before Florida's historic settlement with the tobacco industry. She began her battle locally, serving as president of Charlotte County Student Coalition Against Tobacco (SCAT). Christina then took her message statewide when she was elected chair of the executive board of Florida's Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) program.

"The future of tobacco prevention is in the hands of America's youth," said Christina. "The key to winning the war against tobacco is empowering students to fight back against the tobacco industry."

Christina plans to make sure that other kids have a voice in the fight for their lives. This past summer, this intrepid 17-year-old took her mission on the road traveling more than 1,000 miles across the state of Florida as part of SWAT's "Truth Train" tour. During the rail trip, Christina and almost 50 other teens, stopped in 13 cities to educate youth about the tobacco industry's attempts to lure them into a deadly habit. She also has facilitated youth advocacy training sessions at the annual Florida Teen Summit, providing young people with the tools to influence tobacco prevention efforts in their communities.

Not content at recruiting thousands of youth advocates from across her state, this extraordinary young woman also has spoken to students in England and Scotland about the dangers of tobacco and discussed the ways that they can get involved in their communities.

For Christina, the battle against tobacco use is a personal issue, not just a political fight. Her grandfather died of tobacco-related illness when she was 14.

"I saw firsthand the damage and suffering that tobacco use causes," said Christina. "I knew that something had to be done so that my peers wouldn't have to go through the same thing later in life."

When Christina is not taking on the tobacco industry, she's fighting another formidable foe the entertainment industry. She has orchestrated postcard campaigns to Hollywood executives and will be delivering a petition on behalf of SWAT that protests the glamorization of tobacco use in movies to Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America.

In her role as Youth Advocate of the Year, she 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.