Puff, the magic drag-on

The World No Tobacco Day has come of age. May 31, 2008 represented exactly 21 years since it was first conceived, in the hope it would persuade present and prospective smokers to give up the habit.

But, 21 years later, can it be said that the vast sums spent on the campaign over the years have had any tangible effect? A resounding "no" must be the answer.

Tobacco companies and their related products are still thriving, turning more and more people onto the noxious habit every year. When sales declined in the West, tobacco companies turned their attention to developing nations and introduced the pernicious addictive habit there.

When the advertising of cigarettes and tobacco products was curtailed in the West, along with the promotion of sporting events, companies advertised and marketed their products there.

But the World No Tobacco Day campaign persists, despite evidence to show that it has little or no effect upon people. Sales are either steady or on the increase, depending on the market, with death and serious illness keeping pace with the upward trend.

Despite the many different campaigns (there is also a World No Smoking Day - the second Wednesday of every March) enthusiasm for the product fails to diminish. Maybe the message isn't sold hard enough.