North Stonington - Nicknames for cocaine and the problems the drug causes. A poster warning of the dangers of heroin.

These ads aren't part of a government anti-drug campaign, but they might be more effective.

Trish Albamonti had her 9th- through 11th-grade health class students at Wheeler High School come up with simple messages - in audio, video or poster form - to warn teens of the dangers of drugs.

The most effective commercials, as judged Thursday afternoon by a group of teachers, Principal Chris Sandford and a representative of the Southeastern Connecticut Regional Action Council (SERAC) didn't just earn the students who created them an "A."

The winners, juniors Connor Yakaitis and Ken Kirkup and freshman Steven Bossie, will also have their 30-second commercial about the dangers of cocaine aired on cable access television and the Internet.

"This is an example of the great students and teachers that exist at Wheeler," Sandford said of the project. "They go above and beyond."

Albamonti gave her 120 students three class periods to create their projects. They also worked outside of class.

"There's been a big buzz about it," Albamonti said. "When they knew their projects would be produced, it provided a lot of incentive."

SERAC is providing $4,000 to get the winning ad, or possibly ads, Sandford said, up on a billboard or heard over the airwaves.

The 40 projects were pared down to seven finalists before the group of teachers and administrators voted on their favorites.

The anti-cocaine commercial is effective and compelling, the voters agreed. The video shows different nicknames for the drug accompanied by the sound of a heartbeat before showing a person under arrest and the sound of a cell door slamming shut.

Freshmen Carleigh Hughes, Faith Miner and Ashley Storey took second place with their billboard warning parents about prescription drugs in their homes. The voting group decided the visual would be an effective, concise message that parents would notice as they drove past.

Third place went to sophomore Andy Janz and juniors Jack Scully and Marcus Lamon, who produced a radio ad warning of the dangers of K2, a legal, synthetic version of marijuana that is available locally. The voters thought the ad touched on a drug that has become a hot topic lately. Its availability makes it a worrisome addition to an already wide variety of street drugs, SERAC program coordinator Stephanie Spargo said.

"This project fit in perfectly with our drug unit," Albamonti said.

While it's the first time the school, SERAC and local organization Positive Health in Teens (PHIT) have collaborated on such a project, the success and enthusiasm has the groups considering a partnership for next year and beyond, Albamonti said.

s.goldstein@theday.com