CDC Rolls Out New Round of Anti-Smoking Ads

ATLANTA -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is preparing to launch the second series of advertisements in its national tobacco education ad campaign.

"Tips From Former Smokers" features stories of former smokers who are living with smoking-related diseases and disabilities. The campaign will roll out Monday and will run on television, radio, billboards, online, and in theaters, magazines and newspapers across the country. It will run for at least 12 weeks, according to the CDC, and directs people to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

The ads feature smoking-related health conditions -- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (known as COPD), more severe adult asthma, and complications from diabetes such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and amputation -- and candidly describe the losses from smoking and the gains from quitting.

This CDC effort comes with a $48-million price tag, according to The Associated Press. "Most smokers want to quit. These ads encourage them to try," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year's similar $54-million campaign was the agency's first and largest national advertising effort. The government deemed it a success, as the campaign led to an increase of 200,000 calls to quit lines. The CDC believes that likely prompted tens of thousands of smokers to quit based on calculations that a certain percentage of callers do actually stop, according to the news outlet.

PlowShare Group Inc., of Stamford, Conn., was chosen again to put together and distribute the ads.