(Salt Lake City) –The Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) TRUTH campaign awarded star-style treatment to 13 fourth- and fifth-grade students who earned top honors in The TRUTH from Youth Anti-tobacco Advertising Contest. Winners were announced during an awards ceremony, bird show and movie at Liberty Park on Saturday. Contest entrants created an anti-tobacco radio, TV or billboard/poster advertisement depicting The TRUTH about tobacco use.

Benji Drysdale of Salt Lake City took top honors, winning “Best of Show” for a TV ad concept showing animated dominos falling across the world, representing the five million people who die worldwide from tobacco use every year. Drysdale was awarded $400 and his ad will be professionally produced. The TRUTH awarded additional prizes including $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place in each category.

Best of Show

• “Dominos” television ad, Benji Drysdale, Canyon Rim Academy, Salt Lake City

Billboard

• 1st place: “Don’t Let It Control You,” Bryce Johansen, Spring City Elementary, Spring City
• 2nd place: “Dump the Habit,” Mason Spencer, Riverdale Elementary, Ogden
• 3rd place: “Killer Ride,” Katie Anderson and Emma Herseth, River Heights Elementary, River Heights

TV

• 1st place: “Smokey’s Ribs,” Colton Moore, Amelia Earhart Elementary, Provo
• 2nd place: “Skeleton,” Rachel Balter and Faith Lord, Sunrise Elementary, Sandy
• 3rd place: “The Ahhhh Zone,” Court Einfeldt, North Elementary, Cedar City

Radio

• 1st place: “The TRUTH Rap,” Yitzhak Godinez, Brookside Elementary, Springville
• 2nd place: “Please Don’t Smoke,” Sam Bemis, Grace Lutheran, Sandy
• 3rd place: “Dear Grandma and Grandpa,” Brian Strickler, Sunrise Elementary, Sandy

To tie in with the contest’s theme of tuxedoed penguins walking the red carpet, The TRUTH campaign invited the more than 4,700 students who entered the contest to watch the movie “Happy Feet” at parks in their communities. Movies were shown in Salt Lake City, Brigham City, Ogden, Provo and Ephraim. All of the winning students received prizes and an Oscar-style trophy.

“The contest continues to be effective, even after 10 years, because it allows youth to tell The TRUTH about tobacco and teach each other in their own words.” says Amy Sands, UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We couldn’t be more pleased that 4,700 fourth- and fifth-graders entered this year, setting a record for participation from across the state.”

Every day, more than 1,500 people under the age of 18 become regular smokers; about one-third will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. Ninety percent of people start smoking before the age of 19 and approximately 70 percent of teens who smoke say they would not have started if they could do it over again. More information is available at www.youthagainsttobacco.com.

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