Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to Honor Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy for Bold Leadership in Tobacco Control and Public Health

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to Honor Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy for Bold Leadership in Tobacco Control and Public Health

April 28, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids will present Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, with its highest honor, the Champion Award, recognizing his extraordinary leadership and contributions to reducing tobacco use and improving public health.

Dr. Murthy will be honored at Tobacco-Free Kids' annual Youth Advocates of the Year Awards ceremony, in Washington, D.C. alongside outstanding youth advocates and public health leaders from the United States and around the world.

During his tenure as Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy advanced tobacco control by issuing two landmark, first-of-their-kind reports - a 2016 report on E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults, which identified youth e-cigarette use as a major public health concern and called for comprehensive action, and a 2024 report on Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death: Addressing Disparities, which highlighted disparities in tobacco use and detailed actions needed to advance health equity in the U.S.

Dr. Murthy also championed evidence-based tobacco control policies, including a smoke-free public housing rule that protected over two million Americans from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

"We are thrilled to honor Dr. Vivek Murthy for his visionary leadership and lasting contributions to tobacco control and public health," said Yolonda C. Richarson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "As Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy focused attention on the emerging crisis of youth e-cigarette use and persistent disparities in tobacco use - and the tobacco industry's role in driving both. His reports on these and other public health challenges have served as clarion calls for action in the United States and around the world."

Across his two terms as Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy's initiatives shaped national and international conversations, garnered global media coverage, and spurred action across government, business and non-profit sectors. Beyond tobacco, he has drawn attention to critical, underappreciated health issues, including the epidemic of loneliness, the impact of social media on youth mental health, parental well-being, the youth mental health crisis, and health worker burnout.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is the leading advocacy organization working to reduce tobacco use and its deadly consequences in the United States and around the world. Through our Global Health Advocacy Incubator, we tackle other critical public health challenges across the globe - including food and nutrition policy, injury and overdose prevention, and building resilient and equitable health systems. Our vision is a healthier and more equitable future for all.