Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Young and Proud Smokers Dig Smoking MORE when they see death warnings on the package

Ever wonder how smokers react to "Smoking Kills"? Well it depends on the smoker.

The British Psychological Society's research digest blog puts its spotlight yesterday on a study among student smokers. Those who find that derive some of their self-esteem from smoking and believe that it is cool react to these warnings differently as intended. Instead, they smoke more, "to buffer themselves against the depressing reminder of their own mortality".

Instead, authors recommend other warnings, such as, "Smoking makes you look unattractive" to reduce smoking among this group.

Finding and understanding your target group is essential for any behavioral public health intervention. Otherwise, you may be promoting the behavior you intended to discourage.

Photo: The Telegraph.

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