Debi Austin was a pioneering anti-smoking advocate, appearing in anti-tobacco ads that aired in California starting in 1996.
| Born: | Deborah Austin, 13, 1950, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died: | 22, 2013, Van Nuys, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death: | Cancer |
| Known for: | Anti-smoking advocate |
About Debi Austin
Star of the shocking 'voicebox' anti-smoking ads that ran in California starting in 1996.
Before Fame
She became addicted to cigarettes at age 13, and could not quit even as she was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and had her larynx removed.
Achievement
In the memorable PSA ad she took inhaled a cigarette through the stoma hole in her neck and said in her raspy voice, 'They say nicotine is not addictive'; then exhaled smoke and finished, 'How can they say that?'
Family Life
She agreed to film the PSA ad after her niece drew a hole on her own throat, to mimic that of Austin's.
Associations
Arthur Godfrey, and jovial radio host, became another anti-smoking advocate after his own diagnosis of cancer.
Information related to Debi Austin
- Anti-smoking activists
- Smoking in the United States
