Tobacco-Free Kids Congratulates Senator-Elect Heitkamp, a Champion in the Fight Against Tobacco

WASHINGTON, DC – In electing Heidi Heitkamp as their next U.S. senator, the voters of North Dakota have chosen a true champion in protecting her state's kids and health from the tobacco industry. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids congratulates Senator-elect Heitkamp on her victory and looks forward to working with her to win the fight against tobacco use, the nation's number one cause of preventable death.

As North Dakota's attorney general, Senator-elect Heitkamp was a leader in achieving the 1998 state tobacco settlement, which held the tobacco industry accountable for its deadly products and deceptive actions and restricted some of the industry's most harmful marketing practices. Because of her leadership, North Dakota is one of only a few states that have kept the promise of the settlement and properly funded programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.

Senator-elect Heitkamp recognizes that reducing tobacco use is critical to improving health and reducing health care costs in North Dakota and the United States. We look forward to the powerful voice she will bring to the Senate on these vital issues.