Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleTo reach the young, anti-smoking ads fight vice with vice
Images of, references to drinking, sex surround anti-smoking messages
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 | 2 a.m.
urbanfuel.com
Images like this are used in federally funded ads to reach smokers who identify with the club scene.
Reader poll
Scantily clad models are used in ads to counter cigarette ads' association of smoking and sex.
Sun Archives
- Despite health risks, casino dealers still exposed to cigarette smoke (2-14-2009)
- CityCenter’s Aria to protect blackjack dealers from smoke (8-21-2009)
- Smoking study capped Caesars dealer’s long, lonely fight (5-12-2009)
- Study arms smoking foes (5-7-2009)
- Closer look at smoking ban (5-1-2009)
- Casino restaurant patrons can't elude secondhand smoke (1-16-2009)
- Study finds high pollution levels in casino restaurants (1-15-2009)
- Smoking ban not doing all the banning sponsors hoped (7-21-2009)
The Southern Nevada Health District is ramping up its very Las Vegas approach aimed at reducing smoking among teens and young adults.
District officials say the best way to get young people to stop — or not start — smoking is to use the bar and nightclub scene and ads that feature scantily clad men and women in sexually suggestive poses. The district plans to spend millions of dollars over the next couple of years on a campaign that uses that plan of attack.
Local health officials determined several years ago that to counter the methods that tobacco companies have used for decades to lure young people into thinking it is cool to smoke, the most effective option was fighting fire with fire.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention apparently doesn’t mind. In March it awarded $14.6 million economic stimulus money to the Health District to spend over the next two years on its smoking prevention programs — the third largest anti-tobacco grant in the nation.
That has drawn attention to the district’s plans to greatly expand its “counter-advertising” campaign, much to the dismay of an anti-smoking advocate from Colorado who has railed in the past against Nevada’s historically permissive attitude toward smoking.
Smoke-Free Gaming Chairwoman Stephanie Steinberg, who advocates smoke-free casinos nationwide, said last week she thinks the district’s anti-smoking message to teens and young adults is diluted by ads whose images promote boozing and sex.
“They are basically promoting a party scene in Vegas,” Steinberg complains. “Are they promoting a healthy lifestyle? No they are not. They’re promoting drinking and promiscuity.”
Part of her anger is directed toward three websites that the district uses to reach young people: xpozlv.com, which targets youths aged 13 to 17 attracted to the hard-core rock scene; urbanfuel.org, for adults 18 to 24, particularly those attracted to the nightclub scene; and socrush.com for young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. The latter two websites contain photos of people in bikinis, underwear or otherwise barely dressed. Urbanfuel has shown photos of people drinking in nightclubs. And xpozlv promotes some bands that have penned pro-drinking songs, such as “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong” by Against Me! and “Whiskey Scotch Whiskey” by the Real McKenzies.
The Health District’s Tobacco Control Program manager, Maria Azzarelli, counters that young people would be turned off by any attempt from her agency to combine an anti-drinking message with one that opposes smoking.
“You can’t go into this looking like a health Nazi,” Azzarelli says. “You can’t address things like drinking and driving and HIV all at once because you won’t be successful.”
To drive its counter-advertising strategy, the district in 2001 began employing Rescue Social Change Group, a privately held company based in San Diego and founded by former Las Vegas resident Jeff Jordan. The company, which has an office in Las Vegas, also operates anti-smoking campaigns in California and seven other states.
Jordan said the reason the social networking strategy leans so heavily on punk rock concerts, nightclubs and scantily clad models to push its message is because young smokers are drawn to those lifestyles. While conceding that Steinberg has “a valid concern” about the drinking that goes on at no-smoking events his company has held at nightclubs on and off the Strip, he said the highest percentage of young adults who smoke are also the same individuals who participate in the club scene.
“We have to identify who is smoking so we can cause change over time,” Jordan says. “All we’re doing is going to where they are to deliver a message.”
The use of models who show you can look attractive without smoking is another example of how his company seeks to deliver that message. Some of those models are employed to distribute literature or take surveys on tobacco-related issues.
As for the pro-drinking message often heard at punk rock concerts, he says, “It’s hard to find music that promotes something that we don’t disagree with. You still have to go into the culture, whether it’s a concert or bar, and respect that culture if you want to change it.”
This philosophy, he says, is the opposite of many government-funded health programs that tend to preach to young people rather than attempt to fit into their culture.
Before this year, the Health District paid Rescue $60,000 annually to spread the anti-smoking message in Southern Nevada, roughly one-tenth of the district’s smoking prevention budget. That contract and other anti-smoking initiatives were jeopardized this year, though, when state lawmakers forced with addressing Nevada’s widening budget deficit took money away from smoking prevention programs.
The federal grant not only was a savior, it was a windfall that will enable the Health District to substantially increase Rescue’s annual budget to $1.2 million a year over the next two years, all with the blessing of the CDC. The money will enable Rescue to host many more anti-smoking events and reach a higher percentage of its target audience. Rescue also plans for the first time to air television ads in Las Vegas aimed at teens and young adults.
Although Azzarelli said smoking rates dropped in Nevada for several years — a trend reflected nationally from the 1960s through 2007 — she and Jordan conceded it is not yet possible to quantify the effect their counter-advertising program is having on teens and young adults.
The CDC this year reported mixed results for Nevada — while the smoking rate among high school students in 2009 was 17 percent, below the national average of 18.2 percent, only seven states in 2008 had a higher smoking rate among adults than Nevada’s 22.2 percent.
It’s all the more reason why the Health District plans to press ahead with its quest to get young Nevadans to stop smoking. After all, as Azzarelli said, “tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.”
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- South Point owner Michael Gaughan’s take on ‘Vegas Stripped’: ‘I’ll give it an 8’
- Coolican: Henderson officials out of loop on police brutality case, raising red flags
- See mug shots of 16 arrested in stolen-property police sting
- Lumberjacks — ‘Where the Big Boys Eat’ — hiring for North Las Vegas location
- Berkley draws stark contrasts with Heller over immigration
- Conceptual design unveiled for Henderson Space and Science Center
- Rebels open as a 9.5-point favorite against No. 13 San Diego State
- Send your loved one a virtual Vegas Valentine’s Day card right now
- Short memories may serve president
- Howard Miller, prominent lawyer and ‘true Las Vegas native,’ dies at 68
Blogs
The Kats Report
Live color from the scene at Thomas & Mack Center: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (3 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Man just give the things up, have some friggin will power. It's not so hard like finding a job around here..That's near IMPOSSIBLE!!
Environprotector
Ever thought of moving out of Vegas for a couple of years or so? I am convinced that BP is still hiring people willing to clean up the mess in the gulf. And this company DOES HAVE A MONEY BANKROLL, it's basically impossible that BP will go broke. I would take this option into consideration before thinking of where to find any bottom feeder job in Las Vegas these days. Then, after 2 years or so on the road, you could return to Vegas and start a new career, as a professional poker player or whatever you want.
If I had no job and absolutely the head barely above water, I would take this option. BP has so much work to do down there in Lousiana, and I am sure they're grateful for every person willing help solving this problem in the gulf of Mexico.
Greetings from Switzerland
BP are offering $18 an hour to clean up.
markp, I hope you are not joking on that. As if not, then it's definetely a good chance to make something really positive and help the economy and environment to get back on track again. 18 dollars an hour ain't too bad for US standards, I would think. Is it?
Think about the youngster that doesn't fit the young party group image portrayed in the ads. If they don't fit this stereotype, does it mean that it is O.K. to smoke and drink?
<BP are offering $18 an hour to clean up>
There were flyers regarding the help needed down in the Gulf in our unemployment office. Some of the jobs were plain old clean up jobs but others were very specific on what and who is needed down there (ie science background, marine life background). However, no hourly wage was mentioned.
You're right-on dravon,
Better have some tatooed, pierced and goth-like models. Also get some fat kids in some of those posters. Fat kids that smoke are doomed if something isn't done. I know. Put Chantix in the water supply and that would help with smokers, overeaters, substance abusers and gambling. No wait. This is Vegas. It would be a ghost town.
Tasteless and uncreative. When lacking any true ability to innovate campaigns that might do the public some good, pull out the sex posters. Just brilliant.
is steve minagil still the council for the health district
1.2 mil could have fed the unemployed or provided funding for jobs . just feeding the media pig . think how much money the media pig is making on our senate race . where does that money go ? how much really makes it's way into our local economy or does it go to out of state or foreign interests .....where did the money go thats what i want to know.......
Banning smoking in all casinos would be a great start! Maybe if it wasn't so easy to smoke and drink while playing the slot machines people might quit?
Government only has money because it preys on the body politick which can no longer afford the burden. Yet the smoke nazis who infiltrated the local bureaucracy got $14.6 million from the feds to do propaganda on the very same media the smoking proponents are forbidden to use.
Time to get real and trim the fat -- smoking ads on TV and radio were banned half a century ago, yet people are still smoking. It's evident all this propaganda does is keep the anti-smokers employed. Time to redirect that $$ to programs that address REAL health problems.
For perspective I highly recommend http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tobacc...
Kaliscanner -- good points!
flapsychdoc -- casinos are private property. It's up to them and their patrons whether or not to allow smoking. Where will you nanny-staters strike next?
Kaliscanner: If you look at the websites, one of them is full of the pierced, goth kids, so I think they agree with you, they smoke and should be targeted directly.
KillerB: It sounds like this is different from the traditional anti-smoking stuff. So, I think they agree with you too, time to stop what doesn't work and try something new.
Bottom line is that smoking costs everyone a lot of money, money that could go to schools and jobs instead of healthcare for low income smokers that have cancer-ridden bodies. If this different approach works, then great!
At the end of the day, the traditional anti-smoking (or anti-whatever) commercial is just a commercial. It can be as shocking, risque, fact-filled or dramatic as an ad agency can make it but where is that commercial when a teen is considering trying tobacco?
Traditional methods have failed. No ad has stronger influence than peer pressure whether it be attempting to fit in or impressing the opposite (or same) sex. Therefore, he only way to truly counter the social pressure is to bring the opposition to the social level.
Kudos.
Kudos to the public health sector for trying to actually target the demographic!
Youtube other countries public health campaigns. This is EXTREMELY tame in comparison.
This initiative is great. They are putting more focus on keeping our society healthy, in my mind that's great. Others will say that the government is trying to hard to target this area, but look at all the fast food markets, they are required to post the nutrition facts aren't they??
The main focus being separated to three different categories is another great approach. The gay and lesbian community is another way to promote how much thought is actually going into this, the GLBT community is always overlooked and now they are one of the target areas!
The youth portion is what will impact our people the most, kids are turning to smoking amongst other types of drugs, it's time we save our future leaders.
Great job to the Southern Nevada Health District taking this to a much more appreciative level.
I think its pretty awesome that the Southern Nevada Health District has found a way to target specific populations with high smoking rates in a way that the typical public health scare tactics can't do. I think kudos are in order for the SNHD for thinking outside the box and tackling such a prevalent problem in a non-traditional way. Obviously the pictures of black lungs aren't enough to make youth scared of smoking, so why not make it cool to be smoke free? Every kid wants to be cool.
Ms. Steinberg should be happy that smoking rates are declining, because, at the end of the day, it looks like this Rescue Social Change Group seeks the same Holy Grail of health: A smokefree America. Sounds like she's tripping over funding issues.
Also, if Ms. Steinberg is implying that these campaigns are promoting "drinking and promiscuity," aren't smokefree casino campaigns implicitly co-signing gambling? Drinking, having sex, blowing the kids college fund. I'll take the first two, if that's the case.
I completely agree with what was stated in the article, younger people aren't going to pay attention to any kind of message if they feel like their scene is being infiltrated by a bunch of squares talking down to them. By being a part of their scene younger people are more likely to connect with the message or brand as opposed to rebelling even harder against it. And may I point out that the anti smoking ads aren't saying don't smoke, drink instead. They are focusing on a specific demographic that is already emerged in the night-life culture. This demographic is already naturally inclined to make unhealthy choices. By getting ppl to make even one healthy step in a positive direction will help open the door for them to make even more healthy decisions. One step at a time man, one step at a time.
Coming from a previous smoker, I think this is great. When I would see the Truth commercials as a teen that would show black lungs and death, it did nothing for me. I think with those commercials people tend to think, "wow this could never happen to me!" Since scare tactics don't work, someone obviously needs to think of a different way!
In response to westvegas "Tasteless and uncreative. When lacking any true ability to innovate campaigns that might do the public some good, pull out the sex posters. Just brilliant"
The campaign isn't promoting sex, it's promoting attractiveness- attractiveness in a way that is socially constructed and communicated by the public as a whole. Frankly, it is what catches peoples' (esp. youth's) attention b/c it is what we have all constructed and what we consider appealing. I don't have long sexy legs or full luscious lips, but I admit that I pay attention when someone I want to look like, someone who I consider a part of my culture in some way, is in an ad. I want to know what they're about and how and why they look they way they do. This campaign is simply acknowledging the aspects of American youth culture that we, Americans old, young, and likewise, have created ourselves. Then they utilize that way of attaining attention to promote attractiveness in a redefined way, to ultimately market "attractive" as "healthy." As in, being attractive means being smoke free, etc. So yes, one part I do agree with you on--- brilliant.
Wow, this is definitely an eye-opener.. as someone in college, it definitely is an alternative method to the normal crap we see on TV - trying to appeal to too many people - both non-smokers to keep them from smoking and smokers trying to quit.. in all age demographics.. sounds like a diluted message that is pretty much ineffectual at best.. at least this sounds like it might actually work.
Whether or not its the government's job to influence people towards healthier lifestyles is pretty debatable, but if they're going to do it, they might as well do it right.
From what I can tell, this campaign is way more reasonable and influential than the DARE programs I went through as a kid.
People know smoking is bad for them and that's obviously not stopping anyone. If smoking becomes socially unacceptable then people will realize the short term consequences (fewer friends, less fun, less attention) and decide to give it up for those reasons. I think this is one of the more realistic public health campaigns out there.
Where can I meet up with the girls in their bras and underwear?
Can I wear my whitey tighties too?
Give me another beer!
Another good job southern nevada health district. First you fail to perform your inspections when required at Dipak Desai's Endoscopy Center. Who are we to demand you at least show up for your job, you public Watch Poodles!
Now you bring us updated Stalinist Propaganda posters. You're doing a heckuba job Southy.
Glad the Southern Nevada Health District is trying a targeted approach rather than a one-size fits all ineffective campaign that would undoubtedly just waste $$. Would think you can't force change on youth -- gotta allow them to see how it fits in to their likes and ideals.
Mark_Anthem -- good one!!
Ms. Steinberg's approach to smokefree gaming is obviously not working. Maybe if she follows the health district's approach, she will have better luck. The story says this lady is from Colorado, what the heck makes her qualified to critize what happens in Vegas? Being a parent of teenagers, I realize that you have to reach them in their language. The health district campaigns do that and they seem to be working. Ms. Steinberg should go back to Colorado and not drink, not smoke, wear sunscreen and eat her fruits and veggies!!!
Because of Ms. Steinberg's Colorado campaign, we are grateful that we will never have to go to Las Vegas again. We now can enjoy smoke-free gaming, smoke-free entertainment, smoke-free shopping, smoke-free restaurants and a healthier lifestyle right here in Colorado. The Nevada Health Department should have the courage to work toward a smoke-free Nevada instead of funding groups that encourage other bad habits and certainly activities that most intelligentn people would not want promoted to their children. No person should ever be forced to endure the health risks of second-hand smoke and no workers should have to sacrifice their health to feed their families. Why not put this funding toward fighting smoking in public places? It can be done. You should be grateful that Ms. Steinberg has uncovered the unseeemly manner in which tobacco settlement money is being spent in Nevada. The young people in these smoke-free ads are there to party, not to promote an alternative healthy life style.
Never come to Las Vegas again? Nevadans should be grateful for THAT? Ugh, thanks Ms. Steinberg? Instead of "uncovering" the evil ways in which the Health District is using the settlement money, shouldn't Ms. Steinberg be praising the Health District for getting the money in the first place? Whether or not you agree on the Districts' art design, you must admit that their efforts are well-inteded. Isn't the point of being an anti-smoking advocate to keep youngsters from smoking no matter how it has to be done? Hey I know; the next time the District has advertising to do, maybe they could play Donny & Marie tunes at church and create print ads with children studying in the library - that'll get em' to pay attention.....NOT! Get with the times old geezers!!
Who is this Ms. Steinberg and why is she getting attention? Hmmmm...could it be that she wants funding too for her unrealistic campaign?? I grew up in Las Vegas and am a current resident. If she thinks that a kid in Las Vegas in 2010 will decide to start having sex or drink alcohol because of these clever anti-tobacco ads...then she's totally lost her marbles!! Sarah Palin promoted abstinence to stop kids from having sex...that worked out really well for her 15-yr old who popped out a kid! All Ms.Steinberg is doing is helping Big Tobacco by trying to put down one of the few realistic,innovative anti-tobacco programs. Kudos to the Health District!!
"smoke smoke smoke that cigarette... puff puff puff your life to death... tell st. peter at the golden gate that he no longer has to wait because you smoke smoke smoke that cigarette...."
dipstick -- I remember that propaganda from my teen years. I think I outgrew it when I started seriously thinking for myself around age 17.
I would like to know what Ms. Steinberg proposes is another, more effective strategy for combating smoking in the tobacco saturated scenes of teen and young adults in Las Vegas. Perhaps cartoons, or tabling at venues and clubs with volunteers dawning generic Health Department t-shirts and pass out key chains with a quit info on them would be a better option, because that has never been done before.
In every aspect of current marketing sexuality and social culture permeate through every medium selling everything from deodorant to cars to printers except when it comes to the most important messages of all, messages that save lives and maintain healthy dialogue. Perhaps those that are against this counter-marketing strategies should climb off their soap box and take the time to go out to these venues, look at the fashion, the music, the people for which they so valiantly protect and ask themselves what is the reality of traditional anti-tobacco initiatives? How successful were they? Were they even successful? I'm all for plowing down the problem, but it sounds like those who are against this "new-age" thought would rather keeping running into walls, instead of breaking them down.
I also find it very offensive that the promotion of promiscuity and boozing were attributed as valid arguments against the 2 year contract. To my knowledge it is legal in the state of Nevada to consume alcohol at the age of 21 and up, I would have to go out on a limb and argue that these events were thrown in a venue that was only 21+ if alcohol was consumed. Partying is a part of current 20 something scene through out nation, saying its boozing is a little extreme, and is what I believe a rush to judgment of young adults.
We need real solutions for the real problem of tobacco use among Nevada teens and young adults. I hope that those in charge of funds for initiatives such as these try maintain their existence in reality not their cookie cutter perception of what will effect teens and young adults.
This lady has some issues. Does she know that this is Las Vegas - Sin City. These ads are nothing compared to what else is out there in magazines, on billboards, TV, etc.
If you do not know the culture of Las Vegas stay away. The last thing we need is censorship from a prude.
My friend is in one of those ads and he constantly reminds the people around him to quit smoking. He's not just a model but an advocate for the cause.
Awesome job to the Health Department!
P.S. If you google the smokefree gaming website you will see impotence ads that show cigarettes imitating a limp penis. What a hypocrite.
Where do young people smoke?
At bars, rock shows and other places with their friends.
So we should obviously have anti-tobacco campaigns there, duh!
I don't understand why this is even a debate in the first place. This is VEGAS baby!!
Maybe in Colorado things are different... or this lady just has no idea why and where young people smoke.
steflane: "The young people in these smoke-free ads are there to party, not to promote an alternative healthy life style."
Have you been to one of the events discussed in this article? I doubt it, so how do you know this? It sounds like the reporter hasn't seen one of these events in real life either. You assuming that young people at bars do not have the capacity to care about anything but drinking really limits your ability to have a worthwhile opinion on this subject. MOST young adults drink. Get over it. And MANY young adults smoke when they drink. You want to protect people's health, then get smoking out of bars. It is just as important as casinos, probably more important since many casinos already offer smokefree gaming areas and it is older people who gamble, while younger people go to bars. If you like that lady so much, you should join her in Colorado.
Kudos to the Health District! One of the few operations in ANY location, fighting ANY industry, to employ these techniques. Why WOULDN'T we want to learn from the best -- the big tobacco companies -- and use their same methods right back against them. Youth already know all the facts and scare tactics, and they still smoke. There is no silver bullet, but marketing 'smokefree' as sexy cannot hurt and possibly more cost-beneficial than other method. And as long as we publicly fund efforts to improve public health, I'm all for this!
As a member of the GLBT community of las vegas, I appreciate that someone is offering an alternative to the smokey, stinky bars. Your decision to smoke should not be my problem. And I agree that the old methods of public health like handing out keychains and programs like D.A.R.E. are outdated and plain just don't work. It should come as no surprise to anyone that sex sells. At least they are using sex appeal to sell healthier lifestyles. Keep up the great work!
I think this approach is really on to something. Everybody knows smoking is bad, so why waste money telling people what they already know? Campaigns that do that are usually dorky, and basically preach to the choir.
I don't think the ads promote booze and sex like this Colorado lady is saying, I think it's just being realistic and meeting people where they are. Are kids and young adults going to drink more and have more sex because of these ads? Probably not. Are they going to stop and think that being smokefree is going to cause them to be more attractive? Based on the ads and the images they're selling, heck yea.
SNHD and the CDC should be applauded for taking chances with new approaches, instead of doing the same old stuff that hasn't been making much of a difference. As a taxpayer, I want to know that my money is being used for the public good effectively and realistically, rather than being used to create a "holy" society that this Colorado lady seems to think the world should be.
I just don't get it?!
Why is it ok for the health department to spend our money on drinking and making sex objects out of women? We are not your objects!
I am so sick of Las Vegas showing ads of women --exploiting them-- taking away any dignity we could possibly have left. This city has no respect for any woman.
Every promo ad in Vegas is showing women basically as blow up dolls. We are sick of it! If you wonder why men have no respect for us...look around.
Shame on the health department for exploiting women.