Hooked smoking ad broke rules

[AB Asks]

Government posters and TV adverts showing smokers being hooked through the mouth with a fishing hook broke rules an industry watchdog has ruled. The adverts received 774 complaints. The Advertising Standards Authority said the ads were likely to frighten and cause distress to children, in particular. The five week 'Get Unhooked campaign' has been reported to have been very successful, with the anti-smoking helpline being contacted more that 820,000 times during the five week period. What do you think? Do you think the ad was inappropriate? Is this the only way we can get people to quit smoking?

[tiny e.a]

I don't think other people can 'get' someone to quit smoking. It's a personal decision, the only person who can do something about quitting smoking is the smoker themselves. If they want to continue smoking nobody and nothing will 'get' them to stop.

Personally, as a smoker, any adverts trying to scare me into quitting usually just annoy me so much they have me reaching for my packet, the same when people start blah blahing at me about it. That said, I do want to quit and I hope that come the smoking ban in July I will beable to do so succesfully, however I want to quit because when I run I notice how bad my lungs are and when I've been out and have smoked alot my head is sore, and so on. Personal reasons that I notice about myself, not because advertisers throw grainy grey images of people on fish hooks infront of my face.

[kwicky]

When I see the advert all I can think about is what a cruel sport fishing is. They say a fish feels pain, but obviously a smoker knows the risks and is quite willing to have a lung removed or die a horrible death.

[Bazile]

The object of the advert was to bring home to people how dangerous smoking is to your health , BUT equally importantly that there is help out there to assist in giving up .

If it shocked people into going out there and seeking that help or indeed stop people ( especially from a young age ) starting , then it will have achieved it's purpose

Afterall what would be the point of the advert if it did not stir people into taking action - or make young people aware of the dangers of smoking ?

Past , mild advertisements and warnings on cigarette packets does not appear to have worked , have they ?
At least this advert has resulted in a huge response to the helplines from smokers , wanting to give up .

I have spoken to work colleagues , who are smokers, both young and old , who tell me that they desperately wish that they had not taking up the habit , in the first place

On my way to work I used to pass a college , where outside the front of the building there were hordes of young girls standing there smoking .
I often wondered how may of them will regret it in later life , particularly as I suspect that many of them started smoking in order to fit in with the crowd .

[brionon]

Another Greek or Latin word. I dislike them because they tend to hide the Truth. I prefer the Dutch way, they call an addict 'Verslaafd' ie Enslaved. This seems to be both more Immediate and a better description of addiction.

[Hammer Head]

I think it is probably more distressing to children to have to live with a cancer jockey polluting the air they breathe.

[feist]

The point of Ads is to get public attention, good or bad - any publicity is good publicity... smoking is not a trivial issue, and the small print ''smoking causes cancer'' on the cigarette packs hardly raises an eyebrow these days .... so the more shocking and offensive the Ads, the better I say.

[helpmetoo]

with an ageing population and a plundered and inadequate pension system the government would surely be better advised to promote smoking,
mortality is inevitable it just about timing,
my view is that the tax on tobacco should be substantially reduced,
the overall benefit to the economy would be considerable,
i smoke, am happy to take the consequences and am comfortable that after any associated health care costs my tax contribution still is to the net benefit of the health system.
as the legendary rock songs say....
hope i die before i get old.
who wants to live forever?.
get off my and other smokers case you interfering lefties.

[feist]

I don't care so much if smokers want to kill themselves, (more space for the rest of us) but passive smoking also kills innocent people who may have never smoked in their entire life ... is that fair?
Maybe smokers should be made to wear a mask so they can keep their nasty smoke and smell to themselves...
Thanks for paying the cig tax though, it helps keep the other taxes lower for the rest of us (which is great) and a lot of it compensates towards pension, something the smokers sadly will never get to see

[ruby27]

helpmeto
Are you so old that you can remember the Who? was released in 1966 so either you must be getting on and actually past the age of dieing before you get old. Or, you are far too young to understand what it is like when you attend funerals of you�re loved ones who are only in their early 40's when they died. Maybe great? But given the plans and hopes they had for the rest of their life, I don't think they were totally impressed with the shortness of their life.
Excuse me but whilst I only flirted with Communism I am a Socialist so whilst I am definitely a leftie I only gave up smoking since my last fag, before that I too leftie person was angered by those who promoted anti smoking. You need to be to keep up the psychological process of denial. But, given that was 3 months ago after being hooked through the mouth by something far more painful than fishing hook for 30 years � anything any advert that either helps someone give up or prevents them smoking must be a good thing. As for scaring children � many children are terrified their parents/loved ones are going to die from smoking (correct of course).

[ruby27]

anything any advert that either helps someone give up or prevents them smoking must be a good thing

Actually I want to amend my statement. I do not think anything that helps people give up smoking is acceptable. Obviously I do not think ridicule, punishment, torture, imprisonment etc etc are appropriate.