New data indicates that youth in Washington are taking the advice offered in the anti-tobacco ads being run by the Washington State Department of Health. According to the latest report from Sedgwick Rd., the Seattle advertising agency that created the ads, 80 percent of Washington youth had seen the anti-smoking advertisements. Furthermore, 94 percent of those who had seen the ads said they gave them good reasons not to smoke.

“The effectiveness of our advertising efforts lies in the extensive investigation we did with Washington state youth about what catches their attention most,” said Terry Reid, manager of the state Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “Our ads speak directly to youth who are at risk for smoking, with messages specifically designed to get their attention and give them the hard facts.”
The ads are part of the state’s comprehensive Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, which began in July 2000. The campaign also includes radio, print, and Web-based ads, community outreach, support services, and school-based education programs. Since the start of the state wide campaign, the number of Washington 10th-graders who smoke has dropped by 40 percent. “We’re creating real and lasting change in Washington,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. “Still, we have more work to do; about 55 kids start smoking every day in our state. Our new ad campaign will help us reach more youth so we can convince them to quit smoking or never start.”

Source:    JTO Online May 2004