There can be no further doubt about the toxicity and harmful effects of smoking. Over the course of the 20th century, smoking caused 100 million deaths worldwide. A number which could reach 1 billion during the 21st century if smoking trends continue. It is one of the main causes of avoidable deaths every year. To give you a clear idea, on average, one regular smoker in two dies prematurely because of it, and no one is spared from these numbers. Men, women and children: smoking is a true scourge. In order to reduce the numbers of smokers, anti-smoking campaigns have sometimes gone to extreme lengths. Read on to find the most striking among them.
Scientists have been increasing their efforts to demonstrate the dangers of smoking since the 17th century. But such dangers have been most strongly confirmed since the 1950s, thanks to the first epidemiological studies. It has now become an indisputable fact: smoking is toxic. It has even been specified that “if smoking was to come on the market nowadays, it would not be authorised for sale because of the dangers it carries”. Unfortunately, it is now already part of many people’s everyday lives, and the fight continues for those who are caught in its clutches. Over the years, there have been many efforts to help with public health and to arm people who are trying to give up. Between support groups, national no-smoking days, hypnosis and the use of patches and e-cigarettes, any way of giving up is considered a good way.
Creative ad campaigners have also joined the movement, dredging their imaginations for ways to show smokers the brutal reality that they are ignoring. So can their poster campaigns really help people to give up? This still remains a somewhat delicate question. However, several recent studies have proven that these campaigns are effective for putting people off starting smoking. Young people may be affected by the intensity of these images.
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