Quitting Smoking Campaigns: Are they Really Helpful?

3:51 PM EST 11/8/2018 by Staff Reporter, Celebeat Reporter

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It can be argued that innovation of devices like the vape pen starter kit has led to a decline in the overall smoking rates. However, there are many people that are still smoking traditional cigarettes despite being aware of the negative effects of smoking. Some of these people want to quit smoking. Unfortunately, the addictive nature of nicotine makes it hard for most smokers to quit.

Nicotine is the main chemical in traditional cigarettes. When the body becomes accustomed to having this chemical, it keeps requiring more supply of it. When a smoker tries to quit smoking, the body doesn't get the regular supply of nicotine. This creates an uncomfortable feeling or a craving for cigarettes. This is known as withdrawal and it is the major reason why many people relapse. However, millions of smokers have successfully managed to quit by seeking professional assistance and getting support from their loved ones.

According to media reports, anti-smoking ads or campaigns help people quit smoking. Evidence shows that quitting smoking campaigns that feature hard-hitting anti-tobacco ads and graphics while arousing negative emotions do better than those which do not. In addition to promoting the attempts to quit, hard-hitting campaigns reduce the initiation of youths into smoking.

Quitting smoking campaigns are aimed at creating awareness of the negative effects of smoking and encouraging smokers to stop smoking. Essentially, these campaigns entail the use of different media channels to raise awareness on the serious toll of tobacco use on the health of a smoker and those around them. But, are they really helpful?

Research shows that while some anti-smoking ads are successful, others backfire. In fact, this study shows that some campaigns can increase the possibility of the audience to light up a cigarette. Scientists have established that the most effective anti-smoking ads convince young people that their colleagues or friends listen to them. If they don't do this, they appear to stimulate the curious and rebellious nature of the youth. This can increase their interest to smoke.

Nevertheless, some quitting smoking campaigns seem really helpful because they motivate smokers to end the habit while discouraging smoking uptake. Some people look for alternative means of getting nicotine dose such as using Vapingdaily vape kits after seeing anti-smoking ads.

How they Work

As hinted, quitting smoking campaigns work by revealing the damaging effects of smoking. An example of such a campaign is the Tobacco Free Florida campaign. Such a campaign highlighted the number of deaths that are caused by tobacco smoking in the United States. It also indicated that whenever one person succumbed to tobacco-related causes, about 30 individuals suffered at least one serious illness caused by smoking. Thus, smoking affects even the nonsmokers that are exposed to the toxic chemicals that are found in secondhand smoke.

Additionally, the campaign used aggressive ads, emotional ads, and graphics to show the negative effects of smoking on humans. The campaign employed ads that had been used in other places and demonstrated positive impact to inspire people to stop smoking.

This campaign yielded encouraging results because it reduced smoking in Florida. It brought down the rate of smoking from 19.3% in 2011 to 16.8% in 2013. What's more, the campaign saw more people look for ways to quit smoking.

Another quit smoking campaign used a TV ad to illustrate how tar poisons from cigarettes get into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body within seconds leading to major organs' damage. The ad reveals that in every minute that passes, a person is admitted to a hospital in England with an illness that relates to smoking. Such revelations provoke some people to look for smoking alternatives such as buying a vape starter kit if a person can't quit smoking immediately. Such a device enables a person to cut down on nicotine consumption and eventually stop since it allows them to choose vape juices with varying amounts of nicotine.

Are they Really Helpful?

The answer is a candid Yes. Tobacco brands and companies use media campaigns to promote their tobacco products and boost sales of their addictive products. In the same way, public health advocates can use media campaigns to encourage people to stop smoking.

Using mass media platforms like TV, print media and online platforms is a highly cost-effective way of promoting public health by reducing smoking rates. Different anti-smoking campaigns in England, US, and other parts of the world have proven successful.

Even the World Health Organizes promotes quitting smoking campaigns. According to the organization, quitting smoking campaigns can counter the adverts that promote smoking. What's more, they can educate the masses on the extent of the risks that come with tobacco use and secondhand smoke's exposure. They can also inform, motivate, and educate people on the best ways to quit smoking. Additionally, well-executed quitting smoking campaigns can enhance public support for policy changes that may include smoke-free public areas.

One study established that anti-tobacco TV advertising helps reduce smoking among adults. Researchers also found that exposure to media campaigns sponsored by the state led to less smoking and higher intentions to stop smoking.

Additionally, higher exposure to pharmaceutical, private and state-sponsored adverts led to less smoking too. On the other hand, exposure to adverts that are related to the tobacco industry led to more smoking.

Another study found that quitting smoking campaigns influenced people to quit smoking. The study involved 417 regular smokers that had quit during the time of the quitting smoking campaign. All respondents identified 3 experiences that influenced them to stop smoking. 6.7% of the respondents said that anti-smoking campaigns that they had heard or seen on television, radio or billboards influenced them to quit. 34.3% of respondents said that media campaign ads had influenced their decision to stop smoking.

The Bottom Line

Quitting smoking campaigns are part of the techniques that are used to encourage people to quit smoking and stay clean. When planned and executed properly, these campaigns help people quit smoking. That's because they feature emotive adverts and graphics that inform smokers on the negative effects of smoking while motivating them to quit. A smoker may buy the best vape or any other vaping device as a way to deal with cravings. However, they can eventually quit by cutting down their nicotine consumption gradually.

About the author:

Margaret Wilson, a blogger who writes about the healthy way of life (healthy food, sports, motivation etc.)

Now she studies vaping as an alternative for people who are struggling with smoking.

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of celebeat.com

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