Growing up in West Virginia, smoking was always a part of Breanna’s life. She lived in a state with one of the highest rates of smoking in the country, and saw her grandfather, as well as other family and friends with cigarettes regularly. Breanna didn’t really understand the devastating impact of tobacco until she discovered RAZE. She initially joined the tobacco-free advocates club in middle school on a whim, but it would soon become a passion.
She started small, by simply hanging posters, hosting informational tables and organizing neighborhood cleanups. But her advocacy soon became personal when she approached her grandfather about quitting. Though he had smoked for nearly 50 years and he knew it wouldn't be an easy task, Breanna’s encouragement gave him the push he needed. To remind him of her support, she gave him a pencil inscribed with ‘RAZE: Tear Down Tobacco Lies’ which he carries with him everywhere. A few months later, he was tobacco-free and has stayed that way ever since. “He is such an inspiration,” said Breanna.
“He was someone who struggled most of his life, since he was 15, with addiction to cigarettes and he worked hard to quit. I realized the change quitting had made in his life and decided I wanted to help others do the same.” Breanna expanded her reach by becoming a youth ambassador for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, speaking at school events and even offering support to peers struggling with nicotine addiction.
From Local Advocacy to the National Stage
Unfortunately, because of federal funding cuts, the RAZE program at Breanna’s school was shut down last spring. “I felt so confused and angry,” she said. “RAZE gave me a voice. It brought my grandpa back to me. How could people not see its importance?” Instead of giving up, Breanna doubled down. She attended a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., sharing her story alongside doctors and policy experts. Her role was clear: to bring the human side of the issue to lawmakers. “Youth voices matter,” she continued. “We’re the ones most impacted.”
A Major Threat to Kid’s Health
Despite the decline of cigarette smoking in most states, West Virginia reports the highest rate of use among teens in the country, at about 27%. This may in part be due to the growing popularity of e-cigarettes—which are easy to hide and use on school grounds. “You walk into the bathroom and smell cotton candy,” Breanna says. “It’s not perfume. It’s vaping.”
Unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes are discrete and do not produce a strong odor, making them harder for parents and teachers to detect. Breanna warns that many adults underestimate the problem, assuming it only affects older generations. “This is happening to your kids, your grandkids,” she says. “They’re being targeted by advertising and exposed every day. It is a nationwide problem.”
A Future of Advocacy
As a current high school senior, Breanna is working to establish a new tobacco-free advocates club at her high school before she leaves. She hopes it will help future students avoid the pitfalls of picking up tobacco after she is no longer around herself. “I remember one girl in particular who came to one of the informational tables and told me she really wanted to quit but she was addicted, and all her friends were doing it. I talked with her, gave her some resources and exchanged numbers with her so that she knew she had support,” Breanna recalled. “It’s just one example of how my message was reaching someone and hopefully helping them make a positive change in their life.”
She also plans to continue her advocacy in college. “Just because the program name is gone doesn’t mean the fight is over,” she says. She hopes her story will remind others that change can start with just one voice, if you are willing to stand up or what you believe in.
Blog last updated: January 28, 2026
