An art contest is encouraging kids to keep away from tobacco

With an increasing number of youth smoking, one school is stepping up to the plate to get the message out that smoking is just not that cool.

Butt out: Children spread the message about the dangers of smoking.

Van Ho Junior High School launched a competition on Tuesday in the capital looking for paintings by children, for children under the theme For an environment Without Tobacco Smoke.

The management board is hoping that children across the country will join the competition. Children from Hanoi and other northern provinces like Ha Tay and Hai Phong are already planning to make a giant painting (around 20m in length) to spread the word of the damaging effects of tobacco, according to Nguyen Thi Ha, head of the competition’s management board.

"This is a meaningful and useful activity," Ha said. "We hope many children will enter the competition with many bright and beautiful paintings."

"The competition is to improve children’s awareness, so that they can make fair judgements when it comes to smoking," Ha noted. "We also want to discover and cultivate the creative and aesthetic minds of children."

One example of what the board is looking for is an entry by Nguyen Thu Thuy, a student at the Van Ho Secondary School. The picture shows a couple relaxing in the park, with the woman obviously annoyed by her boyfriend’s smoking.

"My brother smokes a lot," Thuy said. "I can imagine how his girlfriend feels when he smokes."

The competition is being organised by the Ho Chi Minh Young Volunteers Brigage and many arts artists and critics.

The competition is open to any child between six and 15 years old. Anyone interested can send entries up until August 27 in various mediums including water colours, pastels, charcoal or crayon.

(Source: Viet Nam News)