Posted on 07/20/2007 8:21:18 AM PDT by Sonny M
The more exposure middle school students have to anti-smoking ads, the more likely they are to smoke, according to a new University of Georgia study.
Hye-Jin Paek, an assistant professor at UGA, found that many anti-smoking ad campaigns have the opposite effect on teenagers, backfiring because they actually encourage the rebellious nature of youth.
"They don't want to hear what they should do or not do," Paek said. Instead, she said, ads should focus on convincing teens their friends are heeding the anti-smoking warning because peer pressure has the most direct effect.
Paek and co-author Albert Gunther from the University of Wisconsin-Madison examined surveys from 1,700 middle school students about their exposure to anti-smoking ads and their intention to smoke. The study will be published in the August issue of the journal "Communication Research."
The study is the latest in a string of research showing that anti-smoking campaigns often have ad little to no impact on teens. In 2002, a study commissioned by an anti-smoking foundation found tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris' youth anti-smoking campaign was making students more likely to smoke.
Paek said the data showed middle school students are more like to be influenced by the perception of what their friends are doing, and that anti-smoking campaigns should be more focused on peer relations.
"Rather than saying, 'don't smoke,' it is better to say, "your friends are listening to this message and not smoking," she said. "It doesn't really matter what their peers are actually doing."
WELL, DUH!......These ads are being created and run by the "HIPPY" Generation! You'd think they know that!.......
Teens are being rebellious to the “machine”? Say it ain’t so!
That said, statistics show that the rate of smoking in Germany INCREASED prior to World War II more than in France (where we know their whole society is about smoking). Smoking in Germany decreased as the war went on only because of the privations of war.
I think our government knows this, and is trying to increase smoking so there'll be more money into government coffers, plus with the early smoking deaths, billions of dollars will be saved on Social Security and Medicare.
Well, duh, again. Anyone who has ever had teenagers knows that in certain circumstances, and this is one, they can be hell bent to do exactly what you tell them not to do.
So - let’s stop wasting our tax dollars on them.
It was never about smoking, the anti-smoking movement is about
1) Control/more socialism
2) Providing employment for the unemployable
Tax dollars? Nope, MSA funds paid by smokers.
LOL! I believe it. One of my sons says he wants to try smoking, because he hears all the time about how terrible it is, and he doesn’t believe it.
Let him try chew tobacco. He’ll puke his guts out and never try it again. (Or at least he should)
I knew this - I watch South Park - Where the tobacco companies plan anti smoking campaigns that are so lame the kids feel compelled to smoke.
The psychological term for it is “Reactance.”
We all want what we’re told we can’t have.
It’s particularly virulent in teen-agers (speaking as a father of two).
I’d like to see pro-non-smoking ads instead of anti-smoking. That make sense? Instead of hammering on don’t smoke, glorify general fitness. You wouldn’t even have to mention smoking in some of the ads.
LOL! That would be a learning experience.
I cannot stand those ads from some group called “the truth”, where it’s some obnoxious kid with a megaphone shouting at “Big Tobacco” in some defiant “stick-it-to-the-man” voice while other kids around him engaged in some kind of faux performance art demonstration.
Rather than getting mad at Big Tobacco, I want to go have a smoke just to pi$$ off that annoying little jerk.
Its a really good idea, I like it.
Then again, some idiot would argue that its promotes getting juiced.
I think the best deterrent for bad behavior are parents. My youngest just graduated from HS. In the past 2 months two guys from his class have been involved in MVA's one is paralyzed and one is dead both involving alcohol. The city and school officials are talking about starting programs to prevent these tragedies. I knew these kids and their home circumstance and I was saddened by what happened but not surprised. These programs make the adults feel good and give kids a chance to get out of class.
I agree. Now, here's the $64,000 question: Why would it be any different with abstenence messages?
Ya think????? DUH.
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