Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Honors Hannah Martuscello of Dover, N.H., As East Region Youth Advocate of the Year

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hannah Martuscello, 16, of Dover, N.H., has been named the East Region Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for her leadership in the fight against tobacco. Hannah was honored Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Hannah, a sophomore at Dover High School, has testified before the Dover City Council in favor of including e-cigarettes in the city's smoke-free policy. She and other members of Dover Youth to Youth advocated successfully for the removal of tobacco ads at a store located near schools. She has also met with members of Congress to support U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation of all tobacco products.

"We are thrilled to honor Hannah as our East Region Youth Advocate of the Year," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Young leaders like Hannah 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 Hannah 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 6 million people worldwide each year.

In New Hampshire, tobacco use claims 1,900 lives and costs $729 million in health care bills each year. Currently, 9.3 percent of New Hampshire's high school students smoke and 25 percent use e-cigarettes.

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

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SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids