Terry Goddard Announces Winners of Meth Poster Contest

(Phoenix, Ariz. – Feb. 28, 2008) Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced the winners of the Meth NOT EVEN ONCE® Poster Contest sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office and the ARIZONA METH PROJECT.

The three winners are:

  • 1st Place: Laurel Catanzariti, Heritage Middle School in Chino Valley, will be awarded $500.
  • 2nd Place: Arely Escobar, Phoenix Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, will be awarded $250.
  • 3rd Place: Yarlemi Inzunza, Phoenix Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, will be awarded $100.

The winners were chosen this month from hundreds of entries, representing 8th graders from 40 schools across the state. The winning students’ artwork will be incorporated into a poster as part of the ARIZONA METH PROJECT public awareness campaign. Goddard and members of the ARIZONA METH PROJECT Advisory Board will visit the schools of the contest winners to present their awards during March.

The poster contest is part of a comprehensive campaign to make young people more aware of the dangers of meth. Methamphetamine is a real and growing problem in Arizona. According to the 2006 Arizona Youth Survey, 4.3 percent of young people in the state between 13 and17 have tried meth.

The following students were selected for Honorable Mention awards in the contest and are listed in no particular order:

  • Betty Sanchez, Explorer Middle School, Phoenix
  • Bryana Gardner, Explorer Middle School, Phoenix
  • Cesar Garcia, Phoenix Preparatory Academy, Phoenix
  • Evelyn Santos, Phoenix Preparatory Academy, Phoenix
  • Hannah Vance, White Cliffs Middle School, Kingman
  • Jacob Bryan, Glassford Hill Middle School, Prescott Valley
  • Jennifer Carranza, Borman Middle School, Phoenix
  • Jessika Byström, Glassford Hill Middle School, Prescott Valley
  • Jesus Tapia, Wade Carpenter Middle School, Nogales
  • Julia Lough, Glassford Hill Middle School, Prescott Valley
  • Kaitlin Byrne, Parkridge Elementary School, Peoria
  • Kyle Welch, St. David Middle School, St. David
  • Mariah Encinas, Phoenix Preparatory Academy, Phoenix
  • Marin Perez, Phoenix Preparatory Academy, Phoenix
  • Ruben Casas, Borman Middle School, Phoenix

Their artwork will be posted online with the top winners on the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov and the ARIZONA METH PROJECT Web site at http://www.arizona.methproject.org/. More information about meth is also available on both Web sites.