Student artwork to be used in anti-smoking campaign

The artwork of five students will be used in a nationwide poster campaign on international anti-smoking day next May. Dr Mahmoud Fikri, assistant undersecretary for preventive medicine at the Ministry of Health, on Sunday honoured five students from the Omar bin Abdel Aziz School whose paintings were chosen in a competition conducted by the Abu Dhabi educational district.

The students displayed their work during the GCC anti-smoking awareness week and their pieces were selected because they conveyed the message best. "When an anti-smoking message comes from the child it has greater impact. That's why the five paintings will all be featured on one poster bearing the names of the students and displayed on international anti-smoking day on May 31," Fikri said.

"The aim is not only to make pupils aware of the negative impact of smoking but also to make them educate the community," he said. Prevention is the ministry's target. "We are really interested in those who haven't begun smoking yet because it costs a lot of money to cure those who have developed the habit.

"I truly believe that the younger generation is capable of telling older people - whether a relative or a neighbour - that smoking is the worst thing they are doing to themselves," he said.

Moayad Ibrahim Abdul Karim, a second elementary student, whose painting depicts a cigarette as a rocket, said, "I wanted to express how dangerous smoking is, like a rocket directed at the Arab heart. Smoking destroys a human being. He can't breathe well and loses all his money. I will never ever smoke and thank God my father doesn't smoke as well."

Mohammed Abdul Rajek, first elementary student, painted a cigarette dancing and laughing. "The cigarette is dancing. It is very happy because it is harming our youth," he said. Ahmed Fahem Al Dakak's poster dwelt on the dangers of the shisha and another painting portrayed a cigarette in dark, ominous tones.