Saturday, February 11, 2012 12:53 pm

The 2012 Tar Wars winners for Cannon county are in: Woodland Elementary Austin Powell and teacher Carla Parker, East Side Elementary Lacon Parton and teacher Greta Reed; Short Mountain Sadie Hall and teacher Tonya Melton; West Side Patty Hatfield and teacher Kristi Wilson; Auburn Elementary Haylee Espinoza and teacher John Dorris; Woodbury Grammar School Ian DeArmond and teacher Beth Mathis.

Tar Wars is a national anti-tobacco campaign sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Tar Wars began in 1988 and reaches approximately 500,000 students annually.

The mission of Tar Wars is to teach students about being tobacco-free, provide correct information so they can make positive health decisions, and promote personal responsibility for their well-being. Approximately 2% of elementary students, 24% of high school students and 21% of adults use a tobacco product. If a person smokes one pack of cigarettes a day at approximately $5 per day, he or she will spend $35 a week, $150 a month and $1825 a year. If a person smokes for 50 years, he or she will spend $91,250 in his life time.

All local 4th and 5th graders had the opportunity to hear the Tar Wars presentation and participate in the poster competition. Each elementary school chose one poster winner.

The local poster winner received prize money and their poster has gone on to participate in the state competition in Nashville which will be held March 18th. The state winner receives a trip to Washington, D.C. and participation in the national competition. The national winner receives a trip to Walt Disney World or $3000.

Cannon County had 2 state winners in 2011: Taylor Dearmond of Woodbury Grammar School and Lauren Underwood of East Side Elementary.

Woodbury Grammar School Winner Ian Dearmond with Teacher Beth Mathis

Short Mountain winner Sadie Hall with Teacher Tonya Melton and Principal Robert Pitts

East Side Winner Lacon Parton picture with Teacher Greta Reed

Auburn School winner Haylee Espinoza with Teacher John Dorris

Woodland Winner Austin Powell with Teacher Carla Parker

West Side winner Patty Hatfield with Teacher Kristi Wilson