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Joe Karlosi wrote:

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pulp novelties wrote:

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I guess I'm saying people do as they please, even knowing better when they're young. 

Yes. However, I believe you've acknowledged that kids have begun to smoke a lot less than they used to. I have observed this myself and I would agree.

Victor Frankenstein wrote:

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...and for the most part, PN, the vending machines are all gone. Can't believe those ever existed....

Joe Karlosi wrote:

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pulp novelties wrote:

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But i don't think it's because of a gross picture of a guy with a hole in his neck. For lack of a better word, it's finally become "unfashionable" and peer pressure is almost non-existent. I don't think teens see other teens as tough, rebellious or glamorous with a smoke in their hands any longer. It's considered kind of trashy and grubby.

But again, you're speaking in absolutes. It's only common sense to conclude that: yes, some teens may not smoke because it is no longer "fashionable", but you can bet  your life there are likely also some teens who were swayed by some of these ads. It's not all black or white. You would have to interview every teen on this planet to declare that these ads haven't been a deterrent for some. It will never be "all".

Joe Karlosi wrote:

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pulp novelties wrote:

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Well Joe, why do people embark on any sort of ad campaign? To get results I'd suppose. This sort of shock-treatment tactic has been tried for violent crime, drunk driving, recreational drug use, teen pregnancy... almost every imaginable social I'll, yet I've never seen research that supports it's had appreciable effects on lowering incidence of the behavior being targeted, and I have seen studies that say it's ineffectual on the whole. I'd rather see the CDC use funds for something with a better track-record than pricey gross-out ads. 

And I have no doubt in my mind that there have been results.

Joe Karlosi wrote:

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Well, as in other issues Joe, I challenge you that you have to have more than a hunch or gut-reaction. On an emotional level I'd say these ads would have impact because they are so alarming. However, gut reactions don't = results, and most shock campaigns are regarded as failures.

Here's a result from a quick Google search:

BOSTON (CBS) – Graphic anti-smoking ads have been airing for a little over a month now, and we’ve discovered they are working. The ads are powerful and often disturbing, showing real people with serious, smoking related illnesses. They may be difficult to watch, but new numbers show, they’re encouraging smokers to get help.

One of the ads shows a man who breathes through a hole in his neck saying, “When you have a hole in your neck, don’t face the shower head.” Since the spots started airing about five weeks ago, the Mass. Quitline has been ringing off the hook. The controversial spots are hitting some smokers close to home. “It encourages smokers to make one more quit attempt,” says Dr. Lois Keithly, the Director of the Mass. Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program. She says in Massachusetts the number of calls from smokers looking for help quitting is up 26% since the advertising campaign began.

Counselors are helping smokers become non-smokers. “They’re also capable of helping each smoker come up with their own quit plan, setting a quit date and understanding some of the things they might do to prepare themselves for this quit attempt. They also know the local resources,” says Keithly.

Nationally the results are even better. Calls to the quitline run by the Centers for Disease Control have more than doubled, and activity on the agency’s stop smoking website has tripled. Some smokers are heeding the call. “When I see the ads it makes me want to quit. So maybe they work a little,” one woman told us. “The impact of the ad kind of scares the heck out of you, so it’s not something you’d want to continue to do,” says another smoker.

Callers to the state Quitline not only receive help and advice on the spot, counselors will also follow up in the days ahead.

Here’s another interesting statistic. No more than three months after you stop smoking, your heart attack risk begins to drop and your lung function starts to improve.

Rakshasa wrote:

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pulp novelties wrote:

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 .... but I remain skeptical.

Is that a gut feeling?