Pupil from Hofheim School in Hessen Wins National Poster Contest Defeating Beverages Causing Coma
Hesse: Student Wins Statewide Poster Competition on Alcohol Awareness
More than 7,000 pupils nationwide participated in the poster competition organized by DAK-Health to combat excessive alcohol consumption among young people. In Hesse, 12th-grade student Eva Arkenbosch from the Main-Taunus School in Hofheim am Taunus took the top prize for her compelling poster design.
Eva, who excels in her advanced art course, depicted a woman pouring out an alcohol bottle while looking directly into the eyes of the viewer. Employing watercolor paints, she underscored the vividness of a life free from alcohol. Her captivating work earned her the main prize of €300.
Pauline Wingender from Kirchhain and Eli Schlemon Ay from Wiesbaden respectively secured second and third place, while Eliana Lina Potemkin from the Stiftsschule St. Johann in Amöneburg received the special prize "Young Talents."
Health Minister Diana Stolz, the patron of the action in Hesse, handed out the awards and certificates during the ceremony at Eva's school in Hofheim.
Eva shared her motivation behind participating in the competition, stating that she wanted to express the message against excessive drinking in a striking manner, and she aimed to engage the viewer intensively. She also highlighted that she participated in the competition as they were studying poster design in art at the time.
"Even this year, the DAK campaign 'colorful instead of blue' is intended to emphasize that drinking oneself into a stupor is not cool, but dangerous," said Minister Stolz. She added that the number of children and young people who had to be hospitalized due to alcohol poisoning had decreased last year, a positive development. However, she maintained that every incident of a minor being hospitalized due to alcohol intoxication is alarming, and it is essential to continue highlighting the risks associated with alcohol consumption.
Britta Dalhoff, the DAK regional manager, expressed her satisfaction over the continued decrease in the number of affected children and young people in Hesse. She further stated that the campaign would remain an essential part of school life next year, as they aimed to anchor this vital topic.
According to the Hessian State Statistical Office, the number of affected children and young people decreased by 17% compared to the previous year, to 552. Nationally, around 9,300 children and young people between the ages of 10 and 19 were treated in German hospitals in 2023 due to acute alcohol misuse - a 19% decrease compared to the previous year. These numbers represent the lowest recorded since 2001.
Posters designed by students in the competition have proven successful in reaching their peers, as per a study conducted by the Institute for Therapy and Health Research (IFT-Nord) in Kiel. Traditional warning signs aimed at adults were found to be less effective compared to self-designed posters by children and young people.
A federal jury, consisting of the Federal Government's Drug Commissioner Burkhard Blienert, DAK CEO Andreas Storm, and experts from IFT-Nord, would select the federal winners of 2025. The federal award ceremony is scheduled for June 11 in Berlin.
Since 2010, the "bunt statt blau" competition, now in its sixteenth edition, has witnessed over 143,000 students' participation, earning recognition in the Federal Government's Drug and Addiction Report for its exemplary prevention efforts. It has been certified by the European Commission since April 2010 and has received numerous awards.
For more information about the competition, visit the DAK health service centers or the website: www.dak.de/buntstattblau.
- Eva, who excels in her education-and-self-development course of advanced art, showcased her personal-growth in the science of painting, as she depicted a woman pouring out an alcohol bottle for the health-and-wellness poster competition organized by DAK-Health.
- The captivating work of Eva, who aimed for mental-health awareness through her poster design, earned her the main prize of €300 in the competition, which has proven successful in reaching peers and promoting healthier choices based on a study conducted by the Institute for Therapy and Health Research (IFT-Nord).
- As the competition aims to anchor the vital topic of mental-health and health-and-wellness, and discourage excessive alcohol consumption among young people, the federal jury will select the federal winners in 2025 for the education-and-self-development program, "bunt statt blau," which has been recognized for its exemplary prevention efforts since 2010.
