Friday, February 27, 2015

Will a new approach get teens to finally stop smoking?



While tobacco use by adolescents in the US has declined substantially over the past 40 years, nearly one in 10 high school seniors were daily smokers in 2013.  (Johnston, 2014)




For years now most anti-smoking efforts seem to have relied on fear as a motivator, often showing disfigured people in their ads.  (A student recently brought this one to my attention.)  The key message -- if you smoke this will happen to you.
 





While scare tactics might motivate some (including me) they clearly aren't working for everyone. 

A new commercial/video takes a radically different approach banking on the fact that teens care more about dating now than what might happen when they are old.  (Corr, 2015)

Take a look at the spot and see what you think.   



 

Will this campaign be successful?  Does it motivate you?  Or did the disfigured woman do it for you?



 Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2014). Monitoring the Future national survey results on adolescent drug use, 1975-2013: Volume I, Secondary school students. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan. Retrieved February 26, 2015, from


Corr, A. (2015, February 26)  NEW!  Truth's Latest Anti-Smoking Campaign Is A Catchy Music Video Called 'Left Swipe Dat.'  mediapost.com.  Retrieved February 26, 2015, from