Over 400 New Mexico youth (age 12-18) entered the 2007 contest, submitting 289 original scripts and storyboards for 30-second radio and TV ads aimed at preventing tobacco use among young people. 

Four radio scripts and four TV storyboards were selected as winners.The winning entries for 2007 are (drum roll please!):

"And Know What?" by Arlette Chavez & Evelyn Moreno, Mountain View Middle School, Roswell.
> listen to it now

"I Choose" by Janae Mallory, Stepping Out of the Box (Albuquerque Partnership's youth coalition), Albuquerque.
> listen to it now

“Leave a Message” by Arthur Armijo, Amber Encinias, Akhil Govin, Michael Neurauter, Gian Potest, Toni Sproule, Michelle Caruana & Shelby Mares, Raton SWAT Team, Raton.
> listen to it now

“Swear To Tell the Truth” by Britnie Bullington & Simone Johnston, Independence High School, Rio Rancho.
> listen to it now

"The Cult" by Ashton Callahan & Spencer Halstead, Jackson Middle School, Albuquerque.
> watch it now

"Influence" by Maggie Jannakos, Jackson Middle School, Albuquerque. 
> watch it now

"Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Smoker" by Madeline Dick & Kendra Stoll, Jackson Middle School, Albuquerque.
> watch it now

 
"Nip/Puff" by Michael Gibson, Anna Sterling & Ashley West, Tatum High School, Tatum
> watch it now

Each winning entry received a $500 cash prize.  Co-authors of winning entries shared the prize money.

But that’s not all!  The Talk Back to Big Tobacco! Script & Storyboard Contest is the first phase of a larger project to involve New Mexico youth in the production of tobacco counter-marketing messages. 

The winning spots were produced in spring 2007 by youth producers at our community partners, KUNM-FM and Community Cable Access Channel 27.  They premiered at the Fame & Shame Awards at the KiMo Theatre in Downtown Albuquerque on April 14, and they're being distributed on DVD to schools and tobacco prevention organizations around the state. 

Thank you to all the New Mexico youth who Talked Back to Big Tobacco!