Missouri residents exceed the national norm for tobacco use, the most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Twenty-three point four (23.4) percent of Missouri's adults smoke and 21.3 percent of Missouri's high school students smoke. In addition, 140,000 Missouri children under the age of 18 are projected to die prematurely from tobacco if current trends continue.

While adult smoking has generally been decreasing nationwide in recent years, these declines have slowed or stopped. In contrast, smoking among youth increased steadily throughout much of the 1990's. Although the national underage smoking rates have declined somewhat since 1997, they remain at high levels. In Missouri, 8,900 youth under age 18 become new smokers every single year.

In light of these statistics, Saint Louis County Department of Health sponsored a Tobacco Prevention Poster/Slogan Contest for County students in grades K-12. The purpose of the contest was to encourage students to spread tobacco-free messages to their peers. Nearly 2,700 entries were received and submitted in the contest. Each of the winners received a $25 gift card valid at any Westfield Shoppingtown. This calendar highlights the top 13 winning entries.

Thank you to the D.A.R.E. officers, teachers and school faculty who assisted in announcing the contest to students. The contest gave us an opportunity to collaborate in the effort to educate our youth and prevent tobacco use. We would like to give a special thanks to all of the contest participants for their creative artwork and anti-tobacco messages.

• Consultations and resources on tobacco education and prevention for schools and community groups. Call (314) 679-7926 for more information.
• Educational materials for health fairs, public events and festivals.
• Information about all forms of tobacco use, including secondhand smoke.
• Referrals to resources and speakers on tobacco prevention.

(Sources of Information: Tobacco's Toll in the USA and Missouri: National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, 2007)

2008 Tobacco Free Calendar Winners