Up in smoke

As reported today by the Daily Beast (by way of USA Today):

"A new report by the U.S. Surgeon General says even brief exposure to tobacco smoke, whether from smoking a cigarette or breathing secondhand smoke, can damage your DNA in a way that leads to cancer. The Surgeon General's first report in four years claims cigarettes are designed to be more addictive than ever, and that, in someone with underlying heart disease, even one cigarette can cause a heart attack. About 40 million Americans smoke, and 443,000 die from complications related to tobacco smoke."

Are you scared yet? Only if you're paranoid to begin with. There is a reason that such pronouncements do little to discourage folks from smoking. People see right through such scare tactics. These periodic messages from the Surgeon General are little different from those inane local news teasers: "Walking your dog at night can kill you. News at 11." Yes, one smoke can theoretically kill you. But so can driving in traffic tonight. Yes, walking into a smoke-filled room -- one time -- can kill you. But it probably won't. Yes, hundreds of thousands die annually from smoking related diseases. But most smokers do not. Don't get me wrong. Smoking is obviously a very bad idea. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, it's best to quit. But sensationalizing the dangers of smoking (or demonizing those who do) guarantees the message will fall on deaf ears, thereby helping nobody. A steady series of ads calmly discouraging smoking but emphasizing heathy lifestyles might be far more effective.