The physical and emotional scars of former smokers are being revealed in a bold new ad campaign created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The “Tips from Former Smokers” ads will appear on billboards, TV, radio, online, in print and in theaters across the U.S. for at least 12 weeks in an effort to discourage smoking, according to a CDC news release. The campaign kicked off Monday.
Some experts question how effective the campaign will be, especially for the college-age audience.
“I was actually kind of surprised that the CDC is using such a graphic campaign,” UF GatorWell Health Promotion Services Director Shirley Haberman said. “Research has really dissuaded against using fear-based tactics.”
The ads use graphic images to share the personal stories of smokers who have suffered from various smoking-related diseases.
One ad shows a 31-year-old amputee who lost his legs to Buerger’s disease, a result of smoking.
Another ad uses a photo of a former smoker shaving. Referring to the quarter-sized hole in his neck, it says, “Be careful not to cut your stoma.”
Haberman said UF has a relatively low number of smokers and that the school’s smoking cessation programs help students quit.
However, students don’t necessarily think that the ad campaign is the best method of convincing smokers to quit.
Elizabeth Lopez, a 19-year-old marketing and psychology sophomore, said the ads offer a good message, but she said she doubts its long-term success.
“People are going to do what they want to do at the end of the day,” she said. “They know the repercussions.”
The campaign will cost the government $54 million, according to the Associated Press.
Andrew Romero, a tobacco prevention specialist at the Alachua County Health Department, said Tobacco-Free Florida has produced similar campaigns. He said that in the past, the ads seemed to have had an impact on younger audiences.
“There’s quite a bit of evidence that campaigns similar to this have worked before,” he said.
