Santa Monica’s ‘Smoking Doesn’t Belong Here’ Campaign Launches with Unveiling of 5th-grade Art Contest Winner.
Winning artwork to be displayed on the side of a Big Blue Bus during the month of June.
Santa Monica City Council will announce the winner of the 5th grade student art contest at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16th at
Grant Elementary School, as the official public launch of the
City’s ‘Smoking Doesn’t Belong Here’ campaign, aimed at raising awareness the smoking ban in the city’s public spaces. The winning piece of artwork will be unveiled on the side of a
Big Blue Bus servicing the city and the winning student’s class will be presented with a $500 donation.
Pictured left to right: Elementary fifth-grade teacher Shelly Smith, Santa Monica Councilmember Richard Bloom and Santa Monica Councilmember Kevin McKeown present fifth-grader Lauren Fleck with the grand prize in the Smoking Doesn't Belong Here art contest. Lauren's artwork will be featured on the side of a Big Blue Bus as part of an advertising campaign to promote the no-smoking laws in Santa Monica.
Having received more than 100 submissions from six local elementary schools, the colorful entries were judged on creativity, originality, neatness, clarity of written description, representation of description, skill level involved and adherence to rules. The entries depict the children’s artistic renditions of what living in a smoke-free city and world means to them.
“"It is great to see how creative and thoughtful our students can be,” said
Mayor Genser. “I am inspired by their understanding that an individual's actions can have an effect on the entire community."
Selected for their level of community involvement and leadership, the contest judges included members of
Santa Monica business and political organizations such as the
City Council, Chamber of Commerce, Bayside District Corporation and
the California Arts Council.
Elementary fifth-grader Lauren Fleck pictured with her winning artwork in the Santa Monica Smoking Doesn't Belong Here art contest. Lauren's artwork will be featured on the side of a Big Blue Bus as part of an advertising campaign to promote the no-smoking laws in Santa Monica.
“This campaign highlights the City’s storied outdoor culture and dramatizes how our clean air rules benefits everyone – from first-time visitors and long-time residents to elementary school students,” said
Santa Monica Deputy City Attorney Adam Radinsky. “Our goal is to educate the public on the locations of our smoke-free areas, while ensuring the collective enjoyment of the City’s public spaces.”
In late 2007,
Santa Monica City Council passed laws banning smoking in the most popular public spaces of the City including the pedestrian-only
Third Street Promenade, the Santa Monica Pier and
Pacific Park. Additionally, the restrictions apply to outdoor common areas like bus stops, ATM lines, local beaches and 20 ft. from the entrances of any public building.
In 2008, the law was extended to include restaurant owners as active participants in enforcing the law in their outdoor dining and waiting areas. To date, more than 300 business tool kits have been distributed in-person to area restaurants and businesses. Law enforcement officials will be stepping up enforcement in all locations affected by the laws now that the word is out and the campaign is launched.
Santa Monica Councilmember Richard Bloom and Grant Elementary fifth-grade teacher Shelly Smith present students with a $500 check for winning first prize in the Smoking Doesn't Belong Here art contest where one lucky fifth-grader's artwork will be featured on the side of a Big Blue Bus as part of an advertising campaign to promote the no-smoking laws in Santa Monica.
The 5th grade art contest is one of the final pieces the multifaceted public education campaign that was approved by
City Council in February 2009. The campaign, implemented by
Southard Communications, also includes advertising as well as business informational sessions and materials to ensure a smooth transition into enforcement for the visitors, residents and businesses of Santa Monica.
About Southard Communications
Southard Communications is a public relations agency founded in 1994 by a group of marketing and communications professionals committed to bringing big agency experience and skills to bear in an aggressive, creative entrepreneurial environment. We are a generalist agency, boasting a wide variety of national client accounts in industries ranging from financial services, sports, franchising, restaurant, technology and real estate to consumer products, toys/games, beverages, consumer electronics and media publishing.
Southard Communication's newest office,
Southard L.A. opened its doors in
Santa Monica, CA in 2007.
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