Many of the people seen in Tips ads started smoking in their early teens, and some were diagnosed with life-changing diseases before they were age 40. Some are nonsmokers who developed serious illnesses from exposure to secondhand smoke.
The ads feature suggestions, or "tips," from former smokers on how to get dressed when you have a stoma or artificial limbs, what scars from heart surgery look like, and reasons why people have quit smoking.
The Tips campaigns serve as an important counter to the more than $900,000 that the tobacco industry spends each hour—more than $22 million a day—on cigarette advertising and promotion.