New Delhi: The University of Delhi's (DU) National Service Scheme (NSS) Centre has chosen three posters for the varsity's anti-smoking campaign organized on the theme "Say No to Tobacco, Now and Ever" to make the campus a smoking-free zone.

Judges informed that the posters have been selected based on certain parameters like design and originality but the most important factor was the poster's ability to clearly depict its message.

The first prize was won by Raman Maharana, a student of Acharya Narendra Dev College. His poster shows a talking cigarette dressed in an overcoat with another lighting cigarette in its mouth which says, "Don't be a butt head, quit smoking or death will cure smoking!" and its lit head signifies that time is running out.

The second prize winning poster, which was designed by a Hindu College student, Pankaj has a skeleton attired in a hooded blue colour coat holding a young man with a desire to smoke him. The young man is relaxed and calmly smoking his cigarette even though his own head is on fire. The poster also raises a question asking, "Are you smoking the cigarette or is the cigarette smoking you?"

Third prize has been shared by two students from the Institute of Home Economics. One of these has a white cigarette dressed in red shoes, hat and gloves with a gloomy man in its mouth whose head is under a colorful firing lighter. The poster says "There are cooler ways to die than smoking."

While the other poster shows a small boy joyfully smoking a cigarette even though a poisonous snake is wrapped around him. A board with an X-ray of poisoned lungs hangs around the snake's neck and the snake is staring into the boy's eyes as if it is taking time before biting him and spreading its toxin. The poster proclaims, "Try Cadbury, Parle-G, Monaco, please avoid tobacco!."

96 short listed entries were displayed at the varsity's conference centre from November 24 to December 3. The NSS is now planning to make this exhibition mobile by taking it to all colleges, so that the message is well spread amongst all students in the University. Besides, the posters will also be demonstrated at the forthcoming annual Delhi University flower show.