County students in grades six through 12 can win up to $750 in a contest seeking video public service announcements about the dangers of vaping.

Healthy Montgomery, the county’s community health improvement program, and Montgomery County Public Schools are cosponsoring the contest as part of an anti-vaping tobacco prevention campaign in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Students can enter the contest on their own or as a group; however, students may only participate in one entry,” according to contest rules.

The winning PSAs will be announced in February and cash prizes (Visa card or gift card) will be given to the first place, second place and third place entries.

The first place prize is $750, second is $500 and third is $300; fourth and fifth place finishes will receive honorable mention prizes.

The deadline for entries is Friday, Dec. 20.

In the meantime, the Health and Human Services Committee of the County Council voted last week to advance, as amended three bills (and accompanying Board of Health regulations) to help limit the availability of vaping, e-cigarettes, tobacco products and related merchandise to people under 21.

The three bills and accompanying resolutions are:

While the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, and American Lung Association generally supported the first two bills, the groups asked the council not to advance Bill 32-29. They argued that the council should wait until an expected statewide bill is introduced in 2020, and the council should support that legislation.

The three bills now go before the full council.

Photo by Lindsay Fox, EcigaretteReviewed.com, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.