Anti-smoking ads (Don't let your kids read this!)

There has been recent evidence that indicates that many anti-smoking commercials do not have the ostensibly intended effect of deterring kids from smoking. Some insist that this is because the tobacco companies themselves are producing these commercials. Personally, I think it is because teenagers instinctively rebel against public service announcements. I suppose that the way to test this hypothesis is have Playboy produce some abstinence commercials and see if those are any more or less effective than a commercial produced by the Latter Day Saints.

What I think would really work is some reverse psychology. How about an ad that shows an aging hippie smoking a cigarette with the caption "Smoking is Groovy! Just Ask Your Parents!" Or maybe have President Bush fire one up during the next State of the Union address and then declare "Yeah. Now I'm the president of Flavor Country." The key here is that teenagers will often do the opposite of what they think you want them to do. It could backfire if they realize the true intent of the reverse psychology campaign. I hope none of them are reading this.