Stop Smoking Campaigns Increase Smoking

NYTimes editorial which points out that the evidence is that the style of antismoking advertising which the cigarette companies carry out at best has no effect on smoking, and may even serve to increase teen smoking. The latter effect's the result of the ads aimed at parents. Apparently, when teens see that their parents should encourage their children not to smoke, they become more likely to smoke.

I highly doubt that the cigarette companies are unaware of these effects. Campaigns like the Truth advertisements tend to have more success. For my own part, a British PSA encouraged me greatly to quit: it depicted a bunch of attractive young people at dinner who pull out cigarettes and light up. When they do, toxic ooze comes out of the cigarette's end.

That kind of ballsy campaign would get results and it's precisely the kind of campaign that the tobacoo co's don't want to do.