The number of smokers in the UK is estimated to be around 1 in 5 people, with the highest proportion of smokers falling between the ages of 20-34. We can see for ourselves at university that the smoking areas outside of Mosaic or Timepiece are always full, and it would seem that after having a few drinks the temptation to have a drag or even buy a fresh packet is just too high. I don’t believe that it is my role in this article to command all student smokers out there to quit, we do not need another secondary school Biology lecture. However, our government is clearly beginning to tackle this issue head-on. We should all be aware of the new campaign, if only to keep updated with our national affairs.
Over the Christmas period a massive advertising campaign was launched in conjunction with Cancer Research UK in an effort to target smokers themselves and alert them to the immediate self-inflicted damage. We have previously seen campaigns showing cigarettes dripping fat, the effects of passive smoking and the most shocking, children of smokers living in a sea of secondary smoke. This advert, which will be shown until February, will hit us across the internet, TV, posters and billboards around the country. It really is hard to watch without wincing; an everyday man lights his morning cigarette and gradually we can see a cancerous tumour emerge with each puff. It tells us that with just 15 cigarettes there can be a mutation leading to cancerous tumours. If this addiction can be curbed, approximately a quarter of all cancer deaths could be prevented.
The main target audience is young and relatively new smokers, if preventative methods can be taken before the addiction has really set in, then the chances of slowing down a new generation of smokers are far more likely. Chief medical officer Prof Dame Sally Davies said, “We really want to catch all smokers but particularly the young who won’t have seen hard hitting campaigns before. They don’t understand what damage is happening in their bodies.”
The Department of Health have begun the New Year with a pretty clear anti-smoking resolution to kickstart the giving up of the nation’s biggest habit. After spending £2.7 million on this widespread advert, it shows that the health authorities really are serious about tackling the deteriorating health of many of our citizens. I would strongly encourage watching the advert to see for yourself and make up your own mind, but I think it’s undeniable that as far as campaigns go, this one is pretty effective. Will giving up smoking be part of your 2013 New Year Resolutions?
Image credits: guardian.co.uk