Fourth- and fifth-grade students visit Capitol Hill to voice support for anti-tobacco legislation
Contact:Students Recognized for Achievements in National Tar Wars Poster Contest
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Adam Lee
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237 Ext. 5221
alee@aafp.org
WASHINGTON Zane Belden, a fifth-grader from Queensbury, N.Y., was named the 2007 Tar Wars national poster contest winner at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 16. As the national poster contest winner, Belden receives a family trip to Disney World worth up to $3,000.
Tar Wars is a tobacco-free education program that discourages tobacco use among the country’s youth. The program, which was established in 1988, is administered by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
In addition to Belden, three runners-up, six honorable mentions and the state winners were recognized at the awards ceremony. All state winners in attendance at the awards ceremony received a prize packet and a savings bond.
Runners-up:
Second place: Broderick Rutan, Lafayette, Tenn.
Third place: Megan McCoy, Clinton, Ind.
Fourth place: Emily Osborne, Roaring Gap, N.C.
Honorable Mentions:
Fifth place: Rebekah Krogseng, Nikiski, Alaska
Sixth place: Brit Shuck, Seiling, Okla.
Seventh place: Derek Gorthy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Eight place: Sydney Inouye, Honolulu, Hawaii
Ninth place: Kirsten Caughey, Westfield, N.J.
Tenth place: Helena Castro, Providence, R.I.
The winning posters were chosen from 41 entries, all winners of state Tar Wars poster contests. Posters were judged on their artistry, creativity, originality and their ability to communicate a clear and positive message about being tobacco free.
This year’s awards ceremony boasted a record 175 attendees, including 39 state poster contest winners. All of the students will meet with their state congressional leaders at the Capitol this week and voice their support for anti-tobacco legislation.
One particular piece of pending legislation – the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (S 625/HR 1108) – would give the FDA the necessary tools and resources to effectively regulate the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, distribution and sale of tobacco products to protect the public health.
Thousands of family physicians and health care professionals across the country present Tar Wars programs to fourth- and fifth-graders in their local schools every year. They discuss not only the long-term effects of smoking on the body, but also focus on the short-term, image-based effects of tobacco use.
Counteracting the messages created in tobacco advertising, health care professionals talk with youth about how tobacco makes one’s breath smell and how smoking can impair one’s ability to be active and play sports. The students also learn about practical issues, such as how much it costs to use tobacco for a week, a month, a year and over a lifetime.
The follow-up Tar Wars poster contest encourages children to create posters that emphasize the positive aspects of not using tobacco.
Tar Wars was developed in 1988 by Jeff Cain, M.D., and Glenna Pember of the Hall of Life at the Denver Museum of Natural History and Doctors Ought to Care (DOC). The AAFP has overseen the program since 1997. The program has been implemented in all 50 states, several territories and internationally, and it has reached more than 7 million children.
Digital images of all winning posters can be downloaded from www.tarwars.org. Poster artwork is also displayed in schools and is reproduced on promotional items available at www.tarwars.org.
Tar Wars is a tobacco-free education program that discourages tobacco use among the country’s youth. The program, which was established in 1988, is administered by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
In addition to Belden, three runners-up, six honorable mentions and the state winners were recognized at the awards ceremony. All state winners in attendance at the awards ceremony received a prize packet and a savings bond.
Runners-up:
Second place: Broderick Rutan, Lafayette, Tenn.
Third place: Megan McCoy, Clinton, Ind.
Fourth place: Emily Osborne, Roaring Gap, N.C.
Honorable Mentions:
Fifth place: Rebekah Krogseng, Nikiski, Alaska
Sixth place: Brit Shuck, Seiling, Okla.
Seventh place: Derek Gorthy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Eight place: Sydney Inouye, Honolulu, Hawaii
Ninth place: Kirsten Caughey, Westfield, N.J.
Tenth place: Helena Castro, Providence, R.I.
The winning posters were chosen from 41 entries, all winners of state Tar Wars poster contests. Posters were judged on their artistry, creativity, originality and their ability to communicate a clear and positive message about being tobacco free.
This year’s awards ceremony boasted a record 175 attendees, including 39 state poster contest winners. All of the students will meet with their state congressional leaders at the Capitol this week and voice their support for anti-tobacco legislation.
One particular piece of pending legislation – the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (S 625/HR 1108) – would give the FDA the necessary tools and resources to effectively regulate the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, distribution and sale of tobacco products to protect the public health.
Thousands of family physicians and health care professionals across the country present Tar Wars programs to fourth- and fifth-graders in their local schools every year. They discuss not only the long-term effects of smoking on the body, but also focus on the short-term, image-based effects of tobacco use.
Counteracting the messages created in tobacco advertising, health care professionals talk with youth about how tobacco makes one’s breath smell and how smoking can impair one’s ability to be active and play sports. The students also learn about practical issues, such as how much it costs to use tobacco for a week, a month, a year and over a lifetime.
The follow-up Tar Wars poster contest encourages children to create posters that emphasize the positive aspects of not using tobacco.
Tar Wars was developed in 1988 by Jeff Cain, M.D., and Glenna Pember of the Hall of Life at the Denver Museum of Natural History and Doctors Ought to Care (DOC). The AAFP has overseen the program since 1997. The program has been implemented in all 50 states, several territories and internationally, and it has reached more than 7 million children.
Digital images of all winning posters can be downloaded from www.tarwars.org. Poster artwork is also displayed in schools and is reproduced on promotional items available at www.tarwars.org.
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