Saturday, March 9, 2013

#8600!: LEAGUE OF THEMSELVES/HAT SQUAD - DEBI AUSTIN


DEBI AUSTIN

TWIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES:
Deborah "Debi" Austin, a Californian who became a symbol of the anti-smoking movement for her powerful role in advocacy and education, died last week. She was 62.

Austin, of Canoga Park, is perhaps best known for her role in a public-awareness television ad in the mid-1990s and later spots she filmed after being diagnosed with cancer of the larynx and receiving a laryngectomy.

"They say nicotine isn't addictive," Austin says in one ad, taking a drag of her smoke. "How can they say that?"

Her raspy voice, poised demeanor in the face of adversity, and dark hole in her throat are unforgettable.

In recent years, Austin continued filming advertisements for anti-smoking groups and died (February 22) after a two-decade bout with cancer, according to a statement from her family.
- from L.A. NOW

AS SEEN IN:


Smoking killed Ms. Austin. Smoking killed my Dad, 20 years and a month ago. If you smoke, do everything you can to quit.

If you don't smoke, don't start.

Thank you.

(POST NUMBER 8600!)

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