On October 7, the MMS and Alliance honored the 2003 Anti-Tobacco Poster Contest winners with an event hosted by Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge) at the Massachusetts State House.

From left: Sen. Richard Moore, co-chair of the legislative Joint Committee on Health Care; Brittany Rayburn, a winner of the MMS Anti-Tobacco Poster Contents from Proctor Elementary School in Northboro; and Catherine O'Connor, M.D., chair of the MMS Committee on Student Health and Sports Medicine, at the State House awards ceremony on October 7.

"These young people are instrumental in furthering our efforts to end the premature death and disease caused by tobacco," said MMS president Thomas Sullivan, M.D., who presented the awards along with Catherine O'Connor, M.D., chair of the Committee on Student Health and Sports Medicine.

Children in grades one and two were asked to create a poster showing how tobacco is bad for their bodies. Winners are listed along with their pediatricians:

• Christian Cafarelli of Stoneham, (Elizabeth Bornholdt, M.D.)
• Madison Kiefer of Wayland, (Shelly Bernstein, M.D.)
• Alex Kelly of Springfield, (Leonard Plotkin, M.D.)
• Owen Mulledy of Whitman, (David Morin, M.D.)

Winners in grades three and four created posters showing how tobacco use affects other people:

• Nina Johnson of Indian Orchard (Christine Sickle, M.D.)
• Brittany Rayburn of Northboro, (Linda Cozzins, M.D.)
• Samuel Ryan of Whitman, (Richard Kauff, M.D.)
• Jennifer Saing of Attleboro, (Bradford Germain, M.D.)

Children in grades five and six created posters depicting the theme "Save a Heart, Don't Start." Winners in this category were as follows:

• Azia Carle of Dorchester, (Maureen Kruskall, M.D.)
• Kelsea Dolan of Lawrence, (Joan Gitlin, M.D.)
• Erika Maglio of Northboro, (Marjorie Newport, M.D.)
• Miranda Woods of Attleboro, (John Killion, M.D.)

The contest is designed to make young people aware of the dangers of tobacco and smoking. This marks the eighth year the MMS has conducted its anti-tobacco contest, with a record number of children -- more than 7,600 -- participating in the 2003 event. To view the winning entries or for information about the next contest, visit www.massmed.org/pages/antitobacco_contest03.asp.

- Arpita Jindani