It's hard to tell what works when it comes to anti-smoking campaigns. Of the possible causes for the sharper drop in demand for cigarettes among teenagers compared with adolescents, the price increase sounds most feasible (and it's consistent with what we learn in Econ 101). Ironically, the price/tax increases usually funds anti-smoking campaigns -- but they are not the campaigns per se. Teenagers can work, so they have some disposible income. Higher prices hit them where it hurts a lot more any goofy poster in their guidance counselor's office about how UN-cool it it to smoke. Teenagers are not going to buy something that leaves them consistently broke, no matter how addictive it is.

Very good point. I guess I was a little vague in my thinking on that point. Then again, I wonder whether a trip to chemo would "cure" a few teen smokers. Losing your hair -- that's worse, if you're 13, than being beyond broke. There are ways -- but Lena is right -- they need to be more creative than dumbass cartoon characters saying "it's dope to smoke" or whatever painfully uncool crap the smoke police put out.

It seems like the many reasons why it's dumb to smoke don't hit home with teenagers: it's obnoxious, expensive and carcinogenic. Obnoxious is cool with teens. As for expensive, since they have no overhead cost, it's no big deal to them. Just hit up the 'rents for another twenty. Finally, carcinogenic means nothing to the minds of those convinced of their own indestructibility.

So, tell me, what can you emphasize about smoking that might be an effective way to convince the teens to not do it?

The only way is to convince teens that it's not sexy. Somehow, many of them have the idea that it is. A video montage of smokers hacking up mucus might do it, but then again young anti-social males might go "Huh huh, that's cool."

Back in the 1980s, working with AIDS patients at death's door was a very effective lesson for me in the importance of safe sex. Maybe we could introduce the smoking kids to some end-stage lung cancer patients who starting lighting up in high school.