Anti-smoking adverts go too far?

With the new launch of  free smoking quit kits by NHS for new year resolution, the debate over its new advert is heated.

The new anti-smoking advert depicts children singing “I can do anything for you”, followed by the slogan ” if they’s do that, why won’t you give up smoking?”

Anti-smoking advertisement from YouTube

The use of children in the advert has been highly criticized. Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ lobby group Forest said

Trying to make smokers feel guilty about their habit is a form of moral blackmail and it is quite wrong to use children in this way (From BBC)

Using children’s image is a not new phenomenon in NHS’s anti-smoking adverts. The one in 2008 also used children to convince smokers to stop smoking for the sake of their children under the theme of “I like what you like” indicating that children would imitate what parent do. The research manager of ASH charity pleaded against this criticism by saying:

I don’t think this argument really stands up. The research shows that of children whose parent smoke , 94 percent of them say they are not happy with their parents smoking and they would be much much happier if their parents quit…it is an effective tool of persuading parents to quit smoking.

hum…yeah, it could be an effective tool, but is it the only tool? Jason, a 7 years smoker holds a more moderate view about this argument and said:

Anti-smoking

Yes and no, because i think it is important for people understand that it does affect children as much as the person smoking as well. But, at the same time, there is no need to a sort of have that in front of your faces, , on the packaging, the images and messages on the packaging itself is enough to get people to stop really”.

I kinda agree with Jason’s view, using children in the adverts makes me feel that it is forcing people to quit smoking. Smoking, although is not good for health, it is still a personal choice. Government could suggest smokers to quit rather than force. Also, if smokers do not want to quit, any kind of advert will not work actually, even the ones with children. It does give them a message that smoking affect children, but they can choose not to smoke in front of children. So, is the advert going to far? Does it actually work?

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