650 Tennessee youth leaders gather for 10th TNSTRONG summit

More than 650 students, educators and advocates are meeting in Chattanooga for the 10th TNSTRONG Youth Summit, building on a year of youth-led nicotine prevention activism in Tennessee. The gathering comes after a stalled push for the state’s first nicotine retail licensing system, which supporters say set the stage for another legislative fight next year.

Why it matters: - Tennessee youth advocates are trying to keep nicotine prevention at the center of the state’s public health agenda. - The summit is designed to turn recent advocacy gains into longer-term organizing, leadership and policy pressure. - Supporters of a nicotine retail licensing system say stronger enforcement could help curb underage sales, after a reported 20% of retailers continue to fail compliance checks statewide.

What happened: - More than 650 students, educators and prevention advocates are attending the 2026 TNSTRONG Youth Summit from July 19 through July 21 in Chattanooga. - The event marks the 10th anniversary of TNSTRONG, Tennessee Stop Tobacco and Revolutionize Our New Generation. - TNSTRONG is a youth-led movement promoting nicotine-free lifestyles. - The summit follows a 2026 legislative session in which youth advocates helped elevate nicotine prevention into one of Tennessee’s most visible public health debates.

The details: - Participants will take part in leadership development, advocacy training, community action planning, emerging nicotine product overviews and interactive workshops. - National experts are scheduled to speak to the group. - Dr. Brian King, former director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products and now an executive with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, is one of the keynote speakers. - King will urge students to keep leading prevention efforts in schools and communities. - The summit has, since its start, equipped thousands of students with leadership skills aimed at healthier schools and communities. - The event also highlights cooperation among partners in the License to Save Lives Coalition, including youth organizations, health care providers, educators and public health advocates. - Ella Paligo, a former TNSTRONG Ambassador from Hendersonville, said young people see nicotine use in their schools and among their peers and want their voices heard. - Kristin Jimison of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the License to Save Lives Coalition said Tennessee students showed lawmakers they are informed, engaged and ready to lead.

Between the lines: - The failed licensing bill still appears to have widened the policy conversation around youth nicotine access. - Coalition members are using the summit to sustain momentum ahead of next year’s legislative session. - The youth-led framing matters because organizers are positioning students not just as the audience for prevention messaging, but as the drivers of the campaign.

What’s next: - Supporters of the licensing proposal are expected to return to the Tennessee legislature next year. - Coalition partners plan to keep educating communities and preparing for future policy efforts after the summit. - TNSTRONG leaders are aiming to grow the next generation of advocates for nicotine-free communities.

The bottom line: - Tennessee’s youth anti-nicotine movement is moving from a single summit into a longer campaign for policy change, enforcement and school-based prevention.