Over the past few years, NYC anti-smoking campaigns have run the gamut from provocative to uncomfortable to even a little bit disturbing. Now, the Department of Health and Metal Hygiene is rolling out a new ad that aims its message directly at your heartstrings.
That’s right, the effects of smoking on children is the most recent way to jolt that cigarette right out of your fingers.
The campaign, which can be viewed online at nyc.gov/health, features a young boy in a train station who has lost his mother. He is terrified and begins to cry.
According to health officials, this painful moment shows the viewer how vulnerable a child is when a parent risks their life by continuing to smoke. “If this is how your child feels after losing you for a minute, a voice says, “just imagine if they lost you for life?” the ad asks.
The campaign was originally produced in Australia by “Quit Victoria,” and was adapted by the Health Department to air here in New York City. It will run in English and Spanish on network and cable television through April 15th, the health department said.
About 400,000 New York City adults who smoke live with a child. The effects of second-hand smoke makes children more susceptible to pneumonia or ear infections, and it contributes to lifelong health conditions such as asthma.
Smoking takes the lives of 8,000 adults each year in the city.
