From Deseret News archives:
New health ads highlight smoking's 'now' negatives
The Utah Department of Health hopes to highlight those impacts in a new ad campaign to encourage Utahns to stop smoking.
"What we're trying to do here is just to have people who smoke recognize themselves in these ads and think about the more short-term, day-to-day effects of smoking," said Lena Dibble, media coordinator for the department's Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.
Whether it's the man standing outside in the blizzard puffing away on his cigarette or the mom who can't quite make it all the way up the hill with her children, the health department hopes Utah smokers will see a little of themselves in the situations portrayed through the campaign.
"That might just be the little extra impetus they need to seek help and quit smoking," Dibble said, noting the campaign will appeal to smokers through all avenues — the humorous, serious and just plain irritating sides of smoking.
Television and radio spots began airing in late February; billboards will begin cropping up next week.
According to the 2005 Tobacco Prevention and Control in Utah annual report, put out by the health department, the state's current adult smoking rate — 10.5 percent — is the lowest since 1984. Smoking in Utah, according to the report, has decreased 25 percent since the state initiated aggressive tobacco prevention programs in 1999.
The new ad campaign is financed mostly with funds from the master settlement agreement between big tobacco firms and states. Utah receives between $30 million and $35 million annually from the agreement, about $4 million of which goes to the Department of Health for tobacco cessation programs.
The department also receives $3 million from cigarette taxes, as well as about $2 million in matching funds.
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com
