CDC Launches Hard-Hitting Campaign Against Smoking

Then she picks up her false teeth. Next, her wig. She shows a hollow hole in her upper chest where she had a tracheotomy. Smoking gave her throat cancer.

Viewers nationwide will see more stories like Hall’s starting today.

“It’s not just sort of rehashing statistics about people dying from smoking,” says Tim McAfee, director of the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC. “It’s focusing on something that people tend to be less aware of, which is that smoking doesn’t just kill, it also leads to long-term suffering.”

He predicts the three-month campaign will encourage a half a million people to at least try quitting — a number he says is similar to Americans who die each year from smoking-related illnesses. 

McAfee says there’s evidence that personal, graphic stories work.

“States that have done these kind of campaigns have seen more rapid decreases in smoking – both in adults and in initiation with kids,” McAfee says.

He says the campaign fits within the CDC’s efforts to prevent disease and promote longer, healthier lives.

Some parts of the country such as Georgia may see more ads than others because the smoking rate is higher.

David Sylvia with Altria, the parent company for Philip Morris USA, had this to say about the CDC’s campaign:

“Altria agrees that smoking is addictive and causes serious disease and obviously for those who want to avoid the health effects of smoking, the best thing to do is quit.”

Sylvia says people who want to quit smoking should have the appropriate support to help them.

The CDC offers resources for people interested in smoking cessation at SmokeFree.gov.