Analyzing advertisements the danger of smoking - Essay Example

Pictorials associated with health warnings on tobacco package, which started in Canada in 2001, have received substantial regulations in more than twenty countries around the world (Fong, Hammond and Hitchman). Below in figure one is one of the ads showing tobacco causes mouth diseases, as one of the startling and deadly health problems aside from cancer and other adverse medical conditions linked with smoking, and as information certified true and correct by the World Health Organization. In addition, nicotine and carbon dioxide are clinically known to contribute unfavorable pregnancy outcome resulting to death and even poor health of the fetus (Ricci and Kyle, 744; Hanson, Venturelli and Fleckenstein, 307).

The sad thing, both the mainstream and secondhand smoke from tobacco could have adverse impact on fetus (Hanson, Venturelli and Fleckenstein, 307). Considering that health warnings placed on tobacco package have continuously received acceptance from various countries, it seems there is observed substantial effectiveness on them, particularly on disseminating information about the health dangers associated with smoking. The goal in most of these ads is to continuously keep everyone knowledgeable about the peril of smoking, not just on the smokers’ health, but including non-smokers’ having no exemption for unborn babies.

Ads like these must be degrading to tobacco products, but for as long as these offerings continue to contribute high amount of tax, the government can only regulate warnings such as “Government Warning: Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to your Health,” which in some countries have been revolutionized by placing actual pictorials of health warnings on tobacco package, just as presented in this figure.Fig. 1. Poster used to promote World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2009, Tobacco Free Initiative, World Health Organization (Fong, Hammond and Hitchman).

SourcesFong, Geoffrey T., David Hammond and Sara C. Hitchman. The impact of pictures on the effectiveness of tobacco warnings. 2012. World Health Organization. Web. 24 October 2012. Hanson, Glen, Venturelli, Peter, and Fleckenstein, Annette. Drugs and Society. Ontario: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2010. Print.Ricci, Susan Scott, and Terri Kyle. Maternity and Pediatric Nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008. Print.