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I'm not a smoker. But if the labels don't work, it indicates that perhaps the issue is more complicated than the labelites believe. And if the labels don't work and they continue to be lauded and used, then DEFINITELY the issue is more complicated than anyone believes.
The anti-smoking campaign has gone beyond simple public service and is a decade into bizarre punishment rituals. It is an odd way to treat addiction: punish the addict. Make them stand outside in the freezing cold. Make them go a little longer than they want for a fix. Make them carry around and occasionally look at gruesome photos and warnings about all sorts of bizarre health problems from which they will die.
If all this doesn't work, it is no longer about making them stop. It's no longer about public service messages. It's about making them feel bad - and us, the non-smokers, feel superior. It's about paying for the sins of the past. But it's not help, nor is it a reasonable substitute for help. How can it be help if it doesn't work?
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