KIDS: TELL OLD JOE WHY TO SAY NO

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 6, 1993                   TAG: 9304060032
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Creators Syndicate
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
KIDS: TELL OLD JOE WHY TO SAY NO
DEAR READERS: Here's a letter from the American Medical Association on one of my favorite subjects. I am delighted to share it with you:
DEAR ANN: In an effort to increase awareness among young children about the dangers of smoking, U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello and the American Medical Association are sponsoring a nationwide contest called Say No, Old Joe.
The tobacco industry is spending millions to encourage smoking. It is succeeding. Every day, 3,000 children light up their first cigarette. The most heinous of the industry's efforts is the use of a marketing tool called "Old Joe Camel," who portrays cigarette smoking as a "cool thing to do."
The AMA and Novello want to encourage students to help stop tobacco use among their peers by fighting back. They are asking students in grades K-8 to draw a poster or write a letter, poem or essay, one page or less, telling "Old Joe Camel" why he should stop smoking. We hope teachers will use it as a springboard to discuss the dangers of smoking with their students.
Winners will be chosen in three categories - grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. Each winning student will receive a $200 U.S. savings bond and a trip for two to Washington, D.C., to meet the surgeon general. In addition, each winner's school will receive a $5,000 grant for educational materials or recreational equipment.
The entries should be in the student's own words and should include the student's name, address, telephone number and school name. Entries should be sent to Say No, Old Joe, in care of Books and Beyond, 309 North Rios Ave., Solana Beach, Calif. 92075. All entries are due by April 22.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB