INSIDE THIS ISSUE United Health Group supports Tobacco-Free Kids’ youth tobacco prevention initiatives PAGE 1 John Keightley, Vice President of Development shares thoughts on commitment PAGE 2 Meet YAYA Alum, Shannon Riggs PAGE 2 Tobacco-Free Kids’ President, Matt Myers, Featured in Book, Smoke Damage PAGE 2 Fighting Tobacco Across the Globe PAGE 3 2011 Annual Report, Leadership by Design, Now Available Online! PAGE 4 The Campaign for Tobacco- Free Kids and the United Health Foundation have announced a bold new partnership to help cut the youth smoking rate 25 percent by 2015. The collaboration, For Youth By Youth (FYBY), includes a three- year, $2.8 million grant which will support initiatives to reduce youth tobacco use and educate and empower youth as leaders in the fight against tobacco. The FYBY program will support Kick Butts Day, Tobacco-Free Kids’ annual celebration of youth leadership and activism. The new partnership will significantly expand the number of Kick Butts Day events, reaching more than 100,000 more youth and millions more through media coverage of events. Through the FYBY program, Tobacco-Free Kids will recruit, train and assist student anti- tobacco advocates across the nation. These youth leaders will work with their peers to help achieve the goal of reducing the high school smoking rate from the current 19.5 percent to 15 percent by 2015. Lastly, the collaboration will provide critical support to state tobacco prevention programs and help ensure they are using the most effective strategies. “We are excited to begin this new partnership with United Health Foundation and know that working together we can protect America’s kids from the dangers of tobacco,” said Matthew L. Myers, President of Tobacco-Free Kids. “This is a great opportunity to protect our nation’s youth and build on the success of Kick Butts Day. Working together, we will be able to reach hundreds of thousands of young people over the next three years and help them stay healthy and tobacco-free.” Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers and one-third of them will die prematurely as a result. Learn more about this and other initiatives at www.tobaccofreekids.org. SLICING YOUTH SMOKING BY 25% United Health Foundation Awards Grant to support Kick Butts Day and other youth tobacco prevention initiatives CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS | 1400 EYE STREET NW, SUITE 1200, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 | WWW.TOBACCOFREEKIDS.ORG ENGAGE WINNING SMART. SAVING LIVES. A Publication by The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids www.tobaccofreekids.org Edition 1, Issue3 November 2011