By Natalie Morales
Enquirer staff writer

LATONIA - Northern Kentucky kids helped raise awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke Monday by painting a mural on the wall of a city underpass.

Conner Middle School students, Kelsey Conner and Logan Harshbarger created the mural design as part of an art project to make posters for the Northern Kentucky Health Department that campaigned against secondhand smoke.

The girls were told the poster contest was among all Northern Kentucky middle schools, but they didn't think much of it at the time.

"We thought, 'Oh, that would be cool,' but we never really thought we would win," said Logan, 14.

They're painting the mural in the underpass on East 30th Street. As they worked Monday, motorists honked their horns in support, walkers remarked, "that's cool." Everyone who commented was positive, said Andrea Birkenmeier, the health department's senior health educator.

"I think it will be a good message for this area," she said. "It's not often you see a mural regarding secondhand smoke and the dangers of it, so hopefully it will help educate the community a little bit more."

The mural should be finished today, Harshbarger said. After the students are done, it will need two clear coats for protection, one against ultraviolet radiation and the other, anti-graffiti.

Peter Jaquish of Covington, a local artist who has been involved in painting all the city's other murals, also helped put the project together.

Though the design by Kelsey and Logan was used, Jaquish incorporated a background design with large handprints and grid lines to "give the mural more depth."

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E-mail nmorales@enquirer.com