Saturday, June 17, 2006

Marlboro Mum.

The government spends millions of pounds to educate people on the harmful effects of smoking. The campaigns are particularly aimed at teenagers and secondary school students.
However, walk down a typical British high street and one of the scenes will be a mum pushing the baby carrier with one hand, all her shopping loaded on the handle and puffing away a cigarette with the other hand.
No matter what you put up on the billboards if you have grown up watching your own mum smoking a cigarette while she cooked your meal, shopped for groceries or clothes, walked you to the park, how are you going to take the billboard any seriously?
I am not trying to blame only the mothers here, the same applies to the fathers too I guess.
Until and unless we don’t set an example, I don’t think we have a right to expect anything from our future generations. I don’t see the point of news analysis and business programs on TV bringing in distinguished guests to discuss the social education policies when we don’t respect the mind of a young impressionable kid. The level at which the child looks up to his or her parents needs to be put in a more correct perspective and strategies need to be aimed at more appropriate audiences. Its time we stopped making such a noise about the Marlboro man and paid attention to Marlboro mum and dad.

1 comment:

Dr. A said...

Good points. Well said.