[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 52 (Friday, May 1, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO MS. GRETCHEN SNEEGAS, 1998 MIDWEST REGION YOUTH ADVOCATE OF 
                  THE YEAR, FROM INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JULIA CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 1998

  Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable 
young woman from Indianapolis, Indiana. I am proud to announce that Ms. 
Gretchen Sneegas, a sixth grader at New Augusta Middle School, will be 
honored today (April 30, 1998) as this year's Midwest Regional Youth 
Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Ms. Sneegas 
is one of six individual youth activists and one teen tobacco-control 
group to be honored by the CAMPAIGN in 1998.
  The Youth Advocates of the Year Awards, now in their third year, were 
created to encourage tobacco control activism and leadership among the 
nation's youth.
  Ms. Sneegas was nominated by Susan Chitwood, Community Development 
Director of the Indianapolis division of the American Cancer Society, 
for her dedication to tobacco control efforts from the state house to 
the school house. An aggressive advocate for change, Gretchen pushed 
for a state ban on cigarette vending machines, even going so far as to 
provide state lawmakers with photographic evidence of how easy it is 
for kids to buy cigarettes in this way. She has also learned how to 
reach out to her peers and motivate other young people to get involved 
in this fight. When Indiana's State Legislature overrode the Governor's 
veto of a bill that prevented local governments from restricting the 
sale of tobacco products, she mobilized young people from all across 
Indiana to stage a protest at the State Capitol.
  The Youth Advocates of the Year Awards recognize that kids are not 
just part of the problem--they can be a powerful part of the solution.
  This award is presented during the same week of Surgeon General David 
Satcher's timely report on Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic 
Minority Groups. This report underscores the urgent need for 
comprehensive legislation to reduce youth smoking. According to this 
report, smoking rates among minority groups, particularly teens, are on 
the rise. In Indiana alone, 37.8 percent of High School kids currently 
smoke cigarettes, and 13.9 percent of High School kids use smokeless 
tobacco. The Center for Disease Control projects--of these Indiana 
teenagers who smoke--140,645 kids currently under the age of 18 will 
die prematurely from tobacco-related disease.
  I thank the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for selecting Ms. Sneegas. 
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.--I 
applaud the CAMPAIGN for its dedication to providing opportunities 
encouraging youth to get involved in tobacco control activities in 
their communities and at the state and national levels.
  I am very pleased to have this opportunity to acknowledge and honor 
inspiring young individuals like Ms. Sneegas who have worked hard to 
keep America's kids tobacco-free. They are youth leaders who actively 
take a stand for and with other kids demanding tobacco-free lives and 
healthier futures--and they make a difference!

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