The ‘value’ of smoking: An editorial

Research indicates that many adolescents do not adequately understand and appreciate the risks that smoking entails. Beginning smokers give little conscious thought to risk. They are lured into the behaviour by the prospects of fun, excitement and adventure. Most begin to think of risk only after they have started to smoke regularly, become addicted, and gained what to them is new information and appreciation of smoking's health risks. They then wish they had never begun to smoke. Cigarette advertising and promotion are designed to play a key role in this process by exposing young people to massive amounts of positive imagery associated with smoking. Research in psychology and cognitive neuroscience as well as marketing studies done for and by the tobacco industry demonstrates how powerful such imagery can be in suppressing perception of risk and manipulating behaviour. The message here is that affective feelings are intrinsic to 'value'. These feelings are easily manipulated and exploited. Although statistical and other health-science messages are important in combatting this predatory behaviour, we cannot depend on them alone. We have to learn to play 'the affect game', building images and feelings that promote healthful behaviour and block destructive risk-taking.