Anti-Smoking Advertising

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, which annually is the cause of death for more than 480,000 Americans. Recent studies have proven that anti-smoking ads are an effective way to substantially decrease the number of smokers in the United States. As most people know, smoking is a very dangerous and life threatening habit, but what some people are unaware of is the detrimental effects that it can have on a person’s life. Graphic advertisements show people the gruesome effects of smoking and how they can alter your life. Through these advertisements, people are shown different diseases and other problems that are a result of smoking. Anti-smoking advertisements discourage people from smoking and
Ads targeting towards younger crowds often show the outside effects of smoking such as skin conditions, hair loss, and gross teeth. One of the most widely known campaigns for youth is the Truth Campaign. The Truth Campaign was designed to change youth attitudes about tobacco use, reduce the availability of tobacco products to youth and reduce youth exposure to secondhand smoke. Truth has created many ads and commercials, many of which contain popular public figures. With using respected idols, they hope that kids will see those people and be persuaded about what they have to say. Truth also shows teens who smoke and the different ways that it negatively effects their lives. The Truth Campaign has been credited with preventing 450,000 young people from smoking from 2000 to 2004. The study also found that 10 months after the campaign’s launch, 75% of youth had seen at least one advertisement, indicating that the campaign resonated with youth. In addition, exposure to Truth Campaign messages was significantly associated with stronger anti-tobacco industry attitudes and belief that taking a stand against smoking is important. Anti-smoking advertising tends to have more reliable positive effects on those in early adolescence by preventing the start of