It is becoming increasingly unfashionable to smoke these days...

Research from Cornell University shows that advertising for smoking cessation aids is effective and really helps people to make the decision to quit.  The researchers noted that the more magazine advertisements that established smokers come across the more probable they would be to try to quit their cigarette habit. The researchers used to databases which track consumer behaviour as well as the magazine reading trends of over 28,000 smokers or ex-smokers.  They said that it was clear that seeing the advertisements all the time definitely encouraged smokers to take the plunge and decide to stop smoking.

It goes to show that advertising is extremely effective and that is why in most European countries cigarette advertisements of a certain kind are prohibited. Advertisements that show people enjoying themselves, looking youthful and healthy are especially dangerous to young people who often light up for the first occasion because they think it is fashionable and cool to do so.

The study that was published in the respected Journal of Political Economy looked at many different aspects of the links between smoking and advertising. It is becoming increasingly unfashionable to smoke these days and increasingly difficult to smoke in the United Kingdom now that the ban on cigarettes in public places has been enacted. It is very important that health authorities keep pushing the message that smoking is extremely harmful and can cause many different illnesses. This is probably the most effective message that can be put out to the public to encourage them to stop and stub out that last cigarette for good.

At Ukmedix News we feel that the UK government should invest more money in promoting the dangers of smoking and especially target young people. Only when smoking becomes very unfashionable due to the obvious harmful health affects will the numbers of new smokers start to dwindle.