Are Antismoking Ads Effective?

The federal government is behind a new series of advertisements intended to deter people from smoking or to spur them to quit. Have you seen any antismoking ads? Do you think they are effective? Why do you think people continue to smoke despite knowing the dangers associated with the habit?

As The Times’s Gardiner Harris reports, the government is paying for the first-ever nationwide antismoking ad campaign, according to Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

“We estimate that this campaign will help about 50,000 smokers to quit smoking,” Dr. Frieden said Wednesday in an interview. “And that will translate not only into thousands who will not die from smoking but it will pay for itself in a few years in reduced health costs.”

The advertisements, which will appear on television and in newspapers starting Monday, show former smokers discussing the terrible health consequences of their habits.

In one TV ad, Terrie, 51, of North Carolina, who has a hole in her neck and barely any hair on her head after suffering head and neck cancer, tells the camera, “I want to give you some tips about getting ready in the morning.” She then pops in a set of false teeth, dons a blond wig and inserts a small speaker into the tracheotomy in her neck. She ties on a scarf to hide the device and says, “And now you’re ready for the day.” An announcer says: “You can quit. For free help, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW .”

Studies have shown that such graphic advertisements are effective in persuading smokers to quit, but they have also often led to opposition from smokers, who call them alarming and demeaning, and to efforts by the industry to end financing for the ads.
Students: Tell us what you think about antismoking ad campaigns like this one. Do you think they might persuade teenagers either not to take up smoking or to quit? Do you know anyone who smokes? Why do you think millions of people — including approximately 3.4 million teenagers — continue to smoke even though the health risks are well known?