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Wolf Administration Announces Winners of "Get Smart About Antibiotics" Art and Video Competitions for Children

12/06/2017

Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today revealed the winners of the statewide “Get Smart About Antibiotics” video and art competitions and thanked all the children who participated for helping to spread proper antibiotic use awareness.

 

“We launched these competitions because approximately 10 million American children are at risk for harmful side effects from unneeded antibiotics every year,” Acting Health Secretary and Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Inspiring young people to take a larger role in their own health through education and creativity creates the foundation for a lifetime of improved wellness. The children who submitted entries for these competitions exemplify how everyone benefits when art, science and health come together.”

 

This is the first time the Get Smart Program has hosted a kids’ video competition and the sixth year it has hosted the arts competition. The competition is promoted to students throughout the state using newsletters and posters sent through the state library system, museums, childcare facilities, schools, and farmers markets, among others.

 

The program plans to continue holding these competitions every year to give Pennsylvania children the opportunity to display their creativity and spread the word about the importance of hand hygiene, recommended vaccinations and appropriate antibiotic use.

 

Every year, it is estimated more than two million Americans experience health complications due to antibiotic resistance. The overuse of antibiotics results in at least 23,000 preventable deaths in the United States annually. Lack of education regarding antibiotic use is a big part of this problem.

 

The Get Smart Program aims to decrease the need for unnecessary antibiotics by preventing illnesses before they occur through efforts such as this children’s video competition. The Get Smart Program for Pennsylvania was established in 2005 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

 

Other Get Smart initiatives include:

 

  • Handwashing demonstrations in daycare facilities;

  • Educating parents as to what symptoms indicate a need for antibiotics;

  • Providing pharmacy students with information about antibiotic resistance;

  • Increasing vaccination rates among all members in communities; and

  • Evaluating current and proposed practices for antibiotic prescribing in dental practices and children’s hospital settings.

 

For more information about the Get Smart Program and the Department of Health, please visit www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: April Hutcheson, 717-787-1783 or ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov

 

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Editor’s Note: The competitions’ award winners and their videos, if applicable, are below:

 

Video Competition

First place: Irena Elizabeth Potochny, Hummelstown, 8th grade – Fight Bac

Second place: Angie Bu, Hummelstown, 10th grade – Battle Against Bacteria

Third place: Alex Filer, Alyssa Grossi, and Marissa Aloisio; Grove City, 11th grade – Preventing Illness

Art Competition

Age 4 and Under:

First place: Avery Williams, Zelienople, PA

Second place: Gianna Hua, Jenkintown, PA

Third place: Zeke Williams, Zelienople, PA

Ages 5 to 6:

First place: Lilly Anderson, Allentown, PA

Second place: Wyatt Lentz, Camp Hill PA

Third place: Sharanya Randimala, Mechanicsburg, PA

Ages 7 to 8:

First place: Carlee Fine, Mountain Top, PA

Second place: Evan Dardeshi, Horsham, PA

Third place: Abigail Collins, Hummelstown, PA

Ages 9 to 10:

First place: Krystiana Sabieray, New Cumberland, PA

Second place: Ian Lentz, Camp Hill, PA

Third place: Makenzie Thompson, Woodland, PA

Ages 11 to 12:

First place: Allison Gay, Dresher, PA

Second place: Sofia Vinogradoy, Ambler, PA

Third place: Elijah Smith, Dersher, PA

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