How 'Bout A Heaping Spoonful Of Tar and Nicotine?

By Susan Bush
12:00AM / Thursday, May 18, 2006

Jake Hebert's first prize "Clear The Air" campaign poster

North Adams - Drury High School student Jake Hebert won't be old enough to legally purchase tobacco products for several more years, but he has already kicked a tobacco smoking habit.

Hebert is the first prize poster category winner of a Northern Berkshire Healthcare Inc. REACH Community Health Foundation "Clear The Air" youth smoking prevention competition.

"It Was Pretty Hard To Stop"

Drury High School student Jake Hebert

Quitting cigarette smoking was no easy task, Jake said during a May 18 award announcement held during a health education class at Drury.

"I did used to smoke," he said. "Then I quit. And it was pretty hard to stop. The way I did it was to smoke less and less cigarettes every day until I wasn't smoking any [cigarettes]."

Jake's poster will be featured on a page of a Steeplecats baseball team media guide and will also be included in a North Adams Transcript newspaper upcoming supplement, said Sharon Leary, a REACH community health advocate.

Jake and other contest winners received a "Teens Tackle Tobacco T3" t-shirt and a certificate as part of the contest award package.

Smoking: A "Real Bad Idea"

Drury student Katie Leigh Dean of Stamford, Vt. created two second-place winning entries. Katie's illustration of tobacco's "hold" on a youth captured second place in the poster category and a made-for-television videotape she and classmate Dylan Waterhouse produced was awarded second place in the television commercial category.

"I have asthma," said Dylan after he was presented with his award. "I think smoking is a real bad idea."

Drury student Katie Leigh Dean's poster was awarded second prize as was a videotaped smoking prevention message she helped produce; she was also named "Most Valuable Team Player" of the competition.

"I've never smoked," said Katie. "I think it's completely gross."

Katie was also presented with a "Most Valuable Team Player" award for her efforts during the contest.

Conte Middle School Claims Commercial Category Win

Zachary Trombley and Stephen Nutt, both Silvio O. Conte Middle School students, won the television commercial category first place award. Winning television commercials are slated for future broadcast on Northern Berkshire Community Television public access channels.

Dylan Waterhouse worked with Katie Leigh Dean and created a second prize winning anti-smoking video.

Conte student Jordan Pereira claimed third place in the poster category, while Drury students Adrian Williams, Mary Melendez, Amber Ronan, Samantha Clifford, John Langlois and Ronin Magnussen won third place in the television commercial category.

A fourth place commercial award went to Conte student Brianna Lord.

"Awesome Teacher" awards were presented by Leary to Drury health educator Becky Cohen and Conte health teacher Brian Keller.

The competition drew 40 entries from Drury and Conte students, Leary said. There were four commercial entries, 26 poster entries, and although the event did not offer prizes for power point presentations, 10 power point presentations were received.

Entries are scheduled for display during a May 19-20 "Relay For Life" event being held at Noel Field. Contest entries are expected to be included as part of an American Cancer Society booth.

Third place television ad winners Drury students Adrian Williams, Ronin Magnussen, Samantha Clifford, and John Langlois. Missing from the photo is Mary Melendez and Amber Ronan

The "Clear The Air" event was sponsored by a $1,400 "Get The Word Out" mini-grant awarded to the REACH foundation by the Medical Foundation as part of the Youth Action Initiative. "Get The Word Out" grants were designed to launch education and tobacco resistance empowerment actions; the "Clear The Air" campaign was developed by REACH advocates as an initiative that would complement existing tobacco education programs and also permit students to hone literacy skills while encouraging artistic expression. The Boston-based Youth Action Initiative strives to involve youth with strategies counteracting tobacco advertisements that promote tobacco use.

Additional information about the Youth Action Initiative is available at a www.makesmokinghistory.org Internet web site.

Additional information about the "Clear The Air" campaign is available by contacting Leary at 413-664-5404.

Additional information about the REACH Community Health Foundation is available by calling 413-664-5326.

Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.