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The American Legacy Foundation Applauds Chad Bullock for Teen Choice Award Win

8/15/2008

Statement by the American Legacy Foundation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Legacy Foundation applauds Chad Bullock for his win at the 10^th annual Teen Choice Award ceremony. Bullock took home the “Do Something Award,” along with $100,000. Bullock’s passion and diligence around tobacco control began as a small child living in Durham, North Carolina, being raised around tall tobacco warehouses, and seeing cigarette ads on a daily basis. It was around this time when he lost his great-grandfather from lung cancer. The unfortunate event served as the catalyst for his role in tobacco control.

The American Legacy Foundation is honored to have Bullock as a member of its Youth Activism Council (YAC). The group of college-age leaders represents diverse communities and youth activism organizations. YAC serves as internal advisors to the Foundation, and the members work as passionate tobacco control advocates in their communities. Bullock was chosen from a competitive field of nominees and will continue to help Legacy creatively and effectively convey the health risks of using tobacco products to young people, as well as help provide training and resources to other organizations working in public health.

Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from tobacco-related diseases, including heart disease, cancers, emphysema and stroke. Research also shows most smokers start before the age of 18. Educational efforts like the work of the Youth Activism Council are essential to reaching young people before they take up smoking, a life-threatening habit.

“We are so proud of Chad Bullock for winning such a prestigious award and representing the American Legacy Foundation and our Youth Activism Council,” said Cheryl Healton Dr. P.H., Legacy’s president and CEO. “With so much of our work at Legacy geared toward keeping young people from smoking, we are extremely fortunate to have hardworking council members like him, dedicated to combat tobacco addiction among his peers.”

The American Legacy Foundation^® is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation’s programs include truth^®, a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as contributing to significant declines in youth smoking; EX^®, an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use; and a nationally-renowned program of outreach to priority populations. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit http://www.americanlegacy.org/.

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Contact: Najma Roberts, 202-454-5561, nroberts@americanlegacy.org