Gunnar Ewert, a fourth-grader at
Scandia Elementary School, drew his way to a second place finish
in the 2007 Minnesota Tar Wars Poster Contest. His poster,
which states ‘Be There for Others – Smoke Free,’ shows a family
of four standing next to each other. Posters were judged on
artistry, creativity, originality and their ability to
communicate a clear POSITIVE message to remain tobacco-free.
The Tar Wars program is taught by family physicians, family
medicine residents, medical students and other health care
professionals who join together to address the issue of
youth-targeted marketing and access to tobacco. These
volunteers go into classrooms across the state and share the Tar
Wars message. The Tar Wars program is filled with fun and
interactive lessons focusing on the long and short-term effects
of tobacco use, image-based effects of tobacco use and reasons
people use tobacco.
For his efforts, Ewert will be awarded a $75 cash award and a
Tar Wars t-shirt.
The posters were judged by more than 400 family physicians
during the Minnesota Academy of Family Physician’s Spring
Refresher on April 19-20, 2006. First place went to Anna Van
Wyk of Eagan, MN. Third place went to Paige Upham of East Grand
Forks, MN.
Tar Wars was developed in 1988 by the Hall of Life at the Denver
Museum of Natural History and Doctors Ought to Care (DOC). It
has been implemented in 50 states and is owned and operated by
the American Academy of Family Physicians. Tar Wars was
introduced in Minnesota during the 1996-97 school year. The
program reaches close to 400,000 children nationally and
internationally each year.
