Studios turn the tables on tobacco industry

A film noir rebuttal to Hollywood's romantic portrayal of smoking earned Jean Vanier High School in Collingwood first prize in the video category of the 2007 Youth Stomp Out Tobacco Media Project.

"This year's entries put some really cleaver spins on messages against the tobacco industry," said Linda Quennell, a public health nurse with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit tobacco program, organizers of the contest.

"Clearly youth aren't fooled by the insidious marketing tactics the industry uses to seduce them.

The students turned the industry's own messages back on them in some creative ways."

There were 26 video and four radio submissions for the contest, open to high school youth across Simcoe Muskoka.

The winning radio and video commercials were selected by a panel consisting of youth and adult judges and will be posted on the youth website www.thephakz.ca

Video winners:

1st place - Involuntary Inhalation, students: David O'Neill, James Bracken, Stacey McGarvey, Amanda Skinner, teacher Peter Tipold - Jean Vanier, Collingwood;

2nd Place - Keep up the Fight, students: Alex Marsh, Jesse Mills, Paul Tonks, Josh Heaslip, teacher Peter Tipold - Jean Vanier, Collingwood;

3rd Place - Don't Smoke, students: Nadine Moniz, Lauren Marinigh, Jackie Cota, teacher: Krista Bolyea - Patrick Fogarty, Orillia;

4th Place - Half Truth and Whole Lies, students Courtney Larmond, Melissa Lambert, teacher Mark Dunford - St. Theresa's, Midland;

5th Place - Stomp Out Smoking, students: Devin Barber, Adam Polsinello, David Perna, Shayna Hawkins, teacher Mrs. Verardi - Holy Trinity, Bradford;

6th Place- One by One, students: David Arrumba, Johnathan Gomes, Steven Marques, teacher Mrs. Verardi - Holy Trinity, Bradford.

The winners of both first and second place in the radio ad category were from St. Thomas Aquinas in Tottenham.

They include Tyler Williamson, Alyssa Major, MacKenzie Leary, Aaron Bernardi, Aaron Zgud, and teacher R. Robinson.