ATLANTA, Jan. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A brand-new series of emotionally powerful ads kick off the fifth year of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Tips From Former Smokers" campaign. The new ads tell moving, personal stories of Americans suffering from smoking-related illnesses, including heart disease, tooth loss, depression, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Beginning January 25, the ads will run consecutively for 20 weeks on television, radio, billboards, online, and in magazines and newspapers.
Becky smoked for years and has end-stage COPD. In this video from CDC's Tips From Former Smokers campaign, Becky talks about what her life is like now. Although she's very grateful for the life-giving benefits of her oxygen tank, she explains that her life is very different than it was before she developed COPD.
Brian, age 60, started smoking cigarettes at age 8. After high school, he joined the Air Force because he wanted a military career. At 35, still smoking and stationed in England, Brian had a heart attack and spent months in hospital rooms. In this ad from CDC's Tips From Former Smokers campaign, Brian reveals how he couldn't serve his country because of his heart disease.
By age 11, Brian was smoking close to a pack a day. He joined the Air Force after high school and continued to smoke heavily. At age 35, while stationed in England, Brian had a heart attack. In this print ad, Brian reveals his toughest battle.
Kristy started smoking cigarettes at 13, and tried to quit smoking by using e-cigarettes and cutting back on the number of cigarettes she smoked. Kristy kept smoking traditional cigarettes but eventually stopped using e-cigarettes. In this print ad, she shows the scars from surgery for a collapsed lung.
Becky started smoking cigarettes in high school to fit in. She smoked for many years and at age 45, Becky was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)--a serious lung disease. In this print ad, Becky talks about her need for continuous oxygen.
Rico started smoking at age 14 and continued into adulthood. At age 45, Rico's doctor told him he had cancer. Rico realized that if he wanted to watch his then-teenaged children grow up, he had to quit smoking. He was treated for his cancer and has been a survivor since 2011. In this print ad, Rico reflects on why he quit smoking.
Rebecca started smoking at age 16. At age 33, Rebecca was diagnosed with depression. A smoker for many years, Rebecca often turned to cigarettes to help her cope. She finally quit and felt better--both mentally and physically. In this print ad, Rebecca reveals that quitting smoking improved her physical and mental health.
In 2015, Tips ads had an immediate and strong impact, showing the campaign's sustained success since its launch in 2012. When the ads were on the air, about 62 percent more people called the national quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, for free help. Since 2012, Tips ads have generated more than 600,000 additional calls to the toll-free quitline number.
"More than 30 courageous people have shared their stories through the Tips campaign since 2012," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "These real-life stories show, in a way that statistics can't, the suffering and disability smoking causes. Most Americans who have ever smoked have already quit, and most people who still smoke want to quit – this campaign will help them try and help them succeed."
One of this year's new ad participants is Becky, 54, an attorney from Ohio, who started smoking at 16. By the time she was 45, Becky was a mother of two and had her dream job as a child-advocate attorney. Then Becky was diagnosed with COPD. She had to quit her job and suffered a collapsed lung. She managed to quit smoking at age 52, but now has end-stage COPD and is tethered to an oxygen tank at all times.
New ads highlight harms of smoking, benefits of quitting
The ads also feature:
Brian, 60, a military veteran from Texas, who started smoking at age 8 and had his first heart attack at 35.
Rebecca, 57, a Florida grandmother of three who began smoking at 16. She suffered tooth loss and depression. She finally quit at 53. Six months later, she ran a 5K race to celebrate.
Rico, 48, a businessman from California, who started smoking at 14 and was diagnosed with cancer at 44. He quit, increasing his chances of survival, and was able to see his daughter graduate high school.
Kristy, 36, from Tennessee, started smoking cigarettes at 13, and tried to quit smoking by using e-cigarettes and cutting back on the number of cigarettes she smoked. Kristy kept smoking traditional cigarettes but eventually stopped using e-cigarettes. She finally quit smoking for good at age 33 after suffering a collapsed lung. Kristy was also featured in the 2015 campaign.
Smokers who cut down on the number of cigarettes by adding another tobacco product, like e-cigarettes, still face serious health risks. Smokers must quit smoking completely to fully protect their health — even a few cigarettes a day are dangerous.
Cigarette smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, killing more than 480,000 Americans each year. And for every American who dies from a smoking-related disease, about 30 more suffer at least one serious illness from smoking.
Besides the harm it does to peoples' lives, cigarette smoking also seriously harms the U.S. economy. It costs more than $300 billion a year — nearly $170 billion in direct medical care for adults and more than $156 billion in lost productivity. The Tips campaign is an important counter to the more than $9 billion spent annually by the tobacco industry to make cigarettes more attractive and more affordable, particularly to young people.
The Tips ads encourage smokers to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or to visit www.cdc.gov/tips to view the personal stories from the campaign. The website includes detailed assistance developed by the National Cancer Institute to support smokers trying to quit. For more information on the Tips campaign, including profiles of the former smokers, other campaign resources and links to the ads, visit www.cdc.gov/tips.
CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting people from health threats, and saving money through prevention. Whether these threats are global or domestic, chronic or acute, curable or preventable, natural disaster or deliberate attack, CDC is the nation's health protection agency.
Preventive health care can help Americans stay healthier throughout their lives. Those enrolled in health insurance coverage can use the "Roadmap to Better Care and a Healthier You" (English and Spanish) to learn about their benefits, including how to connect to primary care and the preventive services that are right for them, so that they can live a long and healthy life.
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