MARRA WILLIAMS - Comment

THE PROPOSED GRAPHIC IMAGES TO BE PUT ON CIGARRETTE PACKAGING ARE APPROPRIATE. I BELIEVE THAT THE PHOTOS THAT WILL IMPACT PEOPLE THE MOST ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE A TRAUMATIC OR EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. IMAGE NUMBERS: 2, 20, 25, 29, 31, 33, 40, 46, 49 & 64 ALL HOLD THIS LEVEL IMPACT. SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES ARE SUBTLE BUT THE SHADING, SHADOWING, PEOPLE CHOICE AND WORDS WILL LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON ANYONE WHO SEES, PURCHASES AND REGULARLY USES A BOX OF CIGARETTES WITH THESE IMAGES ON IT.
WHILE IMAGES ALONE CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE QUIT SMOKING, THEY CAN INCREASE DISSATISFACTION WITH A BEHAVIOR AND INCREASE THE PERSONAL MOTIVATION TO DECIDE TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO QUIT OR CUT DOWN.
SMOKING IS A PERSONAL CHOICE AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY AND OBLIGATION TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE HEALTH OVER SICKNESS IS ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN PUBLIC HEALTH. THESE GRAPHIC IMAGES AREN'T OBJECTIVE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE TO EXPLAIN THE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF SMOKING SINCE NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE WHOSE HEALTH WILL BE EFFECTED AND WHOSE WON'T.
THESE IMAGES ARE A FEAR TACTIC BUT THIS IS TEMPERED WITH THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE THAT QUITTING SMOKING WILL DECREASE A PERSON'S RISK OF SMOKING RELATED DISEASE, AND IF THEY CONTINUE TO SMOKE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT THE RISK IS REAL AND GREAT THAT THEY WILL EXPERIENCE SOME KIND OF HEALTH RELATED SMOKING COMPLICATION AND THAT IS WHAT THESE IMAGES PORTRAY TO ME.