How to get 7th graders to smoke

Anti‑smoking campaigns and media effects

• Several comments recall that tobacco-funded anti‑smoking ads (from the Master Settlement) often looked like “cool” smoking propaganda to kids.
• Many argue that making smoking prominent—even negatively—keeps it salient and can glamorize it.
• Some suggest the real win came from making smoking largely invisible or uncool in mainstream media, not from PSAs.
• Others propose satire or “cringe” campaigns that make smokers look ridiculous, not edgy or persecuted.

Teen psychology, peer pressure, and the forbidden allure

• Strong theme: kids resist obvious manipulation and “nannying”; pushing too hard can backfire (the Streisand effect).
• Peer behavior and modeling by older kids and adults are seen as stronger drivers than classroom messaging.
• Smoking and drugs often function as “signifiers of adulthood” or rebellion more than about the drug itself.

Drug education (DARE, scare tactics, and trust)

• Many recall DARE and similar programs as fear‑based, misleading, and often lumping all drugs together.
• Once teens discover exaggerations (e.g., about cannabis), they often discard the whole message and explore widely.
• A minority report that DARE visuals (e.g., lung demos) or simple illegality and religious norms successfully deterred them.
• Comparisons are drawn to abstinence‑only sex ed: high on shame, low on honest, nuanced information.

Vaping, nicotine economics, and addiction mechanics

• Multiple anecdotes: vaping can be far cheaper than cigarettes if done with refillable hardware and DIY juice; disposables can rival or exceed cigarette costs.
• Discussion of nicotine salts, throat “feel,” and ritual shows that method/experience matter as much as the chemical.
• Concern that high‑nicotine disposables can rapidly create dependence, especially for youth.

What actually deters use (anecdotes)

• Powerful deterrents cited: watching relatives die of lung cancer, graphic ads (tracheostomy smokers), and realistic films about addiction (Requiem for a Dream, Trainspotting, Pulp Fiction overdose scenes).
• Direct exposure to homelessness and overdose in cities is described as more impactful than classroom lectures.

Can behavior‑change programs work?

• Some point to large drops in teen cigarette smoking as evidence that broad anti‑smoking efforts “worked,” though others credit price hikes, ad bans, and cultural shifts more than school programs.
• General skepticism that one‑off trainings (anti‑drug, harassment, diversity) meaningfully change behavior; many see them mainly as liability shields.
• A recurring view: lasting change usually requires altering the wider environment and culture, not just short curricula.