The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering instituting a ban on menthol cigarettes, as well as flavored cigars. Research suggests restricting access to flavored tobacco products may be one intervention to slow the tobacco epidemic, including among vulnerable groups including young women and racial and/or ethnic minorities.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, menthol flavors increase smoking initiation by youth and young adults, contribute to tobacco-related health disparities, are associated with greater nicotine addiction and reduce the success of people who want to quit smoking. The FDA says there is strong scientific evidence showing a ban on menthol cigarettes will help more people put down smoking for good, while lowering the number of new, young smokers.
In a presentation from neuroscientist Dr. Robert J. Wickham, he said even tobacco companies themselves have reported that flavors such as mentol can increase the appeal of smoking.
The following winning video Public Service Announcements (PSA) produced by Augusta University undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Communication’s Audio Visual Media Production Course (Comm 3030) were selected by a panel of judges.
The judges possess expertise in communications, video production, public relations, public health, and tobacco-use prevention. The PSA assignment is an experiential learning competition organized by the Georgia Cancer Center in collaboration with the Department of Communication. This semester’s assignment or theme was to “Persuade someone to support the FDA ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.”
Produced by Tabitha Durbin, this PSA, "Addiction Isn't Sweet", received the Harmonic Convergence Award as the best overall submission for its strong informational characteristics, persuasive messaging, and for being technically well integrated. It demonstrated moxie and verve.
Sarah Rish produced this PSA, "Poison Candy", to illustrate the connection between candy flavors and flavored cigars. She states that working with children during production is a challenge. As winner of the Best Message / Representation of the Theme category, this PSA demonstrates a convincing “Call to Action” to support the FDA ban.
Producer Iana Crane’s PSA "Inhale, Exhale" effectively and intensely alerts the viewer to harms of using tobacco products. The audio, a beeping monitor that eventually flat lines, dramatically enhances the story.
Produced by Grace Wolfe this PSA, "Birthdays", demonstrates both production and post-production skill. Although the producer states lighting during filming was challenging, she used natural daylight and editing to enhance the dichotomy between not smoking (light) and ill effects of smoking (darkness) to visually support the storytelling.
