The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) remains steadfast in its commitment to tackling the two leading causes of preventable death: tobacco use and obesity, as well as a rising concern, substance use. Over the last 25 years, VFHY has worked diligently to address tobacco use prevention and that success has seen VFHY’s mission expanded twice to include childhood obesity, and substance use.

Since 2001, high school smoking rates in Virginia have dropped from 28.6% to 2%. It is estimated that our prevention work contributes to preventing at least 118,000 of Virginia’s youth from smoking each year.

Unfortunately, youth continue to be at risk of using new products brought into the market each year. Currently, we are seeing products like e-cigarettes that contain nicotine or marijuana (cannabis) and other substances that contain fentanyl and opioids. We continue to educate our grantees on these issues, and fund state-wide public health marketing campaigns that address the ongoing threats to public health. Additionally, VFHY has taken a leading role in assisting First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin’s fentanyl prevention initiative, It Only Takes One.

VFHY looks to continue collaborating with other public and private partners to empower youth to make healthy choices and will remain a great steward of the funds received from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

/S/ Marty Kilgore
Executive Director
Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth