Abigail Rexroad from Falconer Central School was awarded the 2025 Western Regional Youth Advocate of the Year Award (YAYA).

She received this award for her efforts in educating her peers and community about the dangers of tobacco use, litter, exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke and aerosol from e-cigarettes, and how the tobacco industry has targeted and marketed specific tobacco products, such as menthol cigarettes to specific populations.

“Being awarded the Western Regional YAYA means a special way of knowing that all the work I did to educate my community on tobacco issues has been meaningful,” Abigail said. “The work in Reality Check is so important because we have the ability to educate our community on relevant issues dealing with tobacco with facts.”

Rexroad has been part of Reality Check for three years and participated in local, regional, statewide and national events, including meeting with state Assemblymen Andrew Molitor and Joe Sempolinski. They discussed how tobacco use is still an issue in Chautauqua County for young people through access to flavored products such as nicotine pouches and illegal flavored e-cigarette products.