Scare Tactic Is Not a Solution

A law about requiring cigarette packs to carry graphic warnings in color released on 1st of August this year in Singapore. According to China Daily these pictures are about the negative effects of smoking such as a mouthful of rotten teeth, diseased organs, a limp baby and a smoker on his dead body covered half of each pack. This anti-smoking campaign in Singapore is really appreciative, however it is not effective. The reasons are that these pictures are too familiar and common for Singaporeans, smokers are not easily influenced by visual effects and there are better solutions better than that.

Firstly, these pictures are too common and familiar for Singaporean; therefore, they are not scary enough for prevention. Singapore government puts on a lot of efforts in anti-smoking. Cigarette prices have risen regularly, tobacco advertisements have been banned since the 1970s and anti-smoking advertisements are broadcasted through mass media everyday. Unfortunately, official statistics say the number of smokers is still increasing. Some of the Singaporean smokers said "noting on the box will stop us if we really want to smoke,", "smokers already know the harmful effects of smoking." These are some of the interviewees response to China Daily. Therefore, it will not decrease the number of smokers by showing the scary pictures.

Secondly, smokers are addicted both physically and psychologically, scary pictures are not a scientific solution. Singapore already bans smoking in public transport, elevators, theaters, government offices, air-conditioned restaurants and shopping centre. However, the number of smokers is still increasing. Tobacco is a form of drugs which cannot be easily quitted. Some of the smokers try to quit smoking for dozens of times, however, the successful cases are very few. The failure one says that once he smells and sees others are smoking, he cannot control himself to smoke. At that time, negative effects on health are not in his mind; instead, it fulfills the wonderful feeling of smoking.

Lastly, Singaporean need law to ban smoking but not selling cigarettes with scary pictures. Singapore is a very interesting nation which can find a prostitute easily but impossible to get a chewing-gum. Why? It is because of the powerful law. Singapore law is so controlling that makes every Singaporean live in a special way compared with other nationalities. Therefore, ban cigarettes is the best way of stop smoking compared with all of the preventions. Smokers are very similar with drug adductors, once they are addicted, they are very hard to be quitted. If there was no law to ban drugs, drugs would be as popular as cigarettes in the society. Cigarettes are the same thing around. Therefore, the best prevention of stopping smoking is banning cigarettes but not selling cigarettes with scary pictures.

Smoking is a serious problem all over the world. There are millions of people are dying by smoking as well as second hand smoking. It is important to find some other effective solutions to decrease the number of smokers because put scary pictures on cigarettes are not powerful enough.