John,

Meet Sarah Ryan.

As our first Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year, Sarah learned about the power of youth voices as a champion for tobacco control in her home state of Massachusetts and beyond. After seeing so many of her peers become addicted to e-cigarettes because of the candy flavors, she became a leader in the fight against flavored tobacco products, working with state legislators and community leaders to address the problem. And she won. In 2019, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to pass legislation ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products. Sarah’s experience as a youth advocate inspired her to begin a career in youth counseling so that she can inspire the next generation of advocates to use their voices for change.

“When we see legislation pass, we get a really concrete feeling of the change that we’re making.”

As part of our year-long 25th anniversary celebration, our Voices in the Fight profile series showcases the incredible power of advocates we've worked with over the years. Look out for a new profile every other Wednesday through May 2022.

–The Tobacco-Free Kids team