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A Rhetorical Analysis Essay On Smoking

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In the United States, tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of death. Killing more than 480,000 Americans each year and costing more than $300 billion each year in relation to smoking-related illnesses, smoking cigarettes has rapidly become one of America’s worst vices. More and more people are becoming addicted to smoking every year, and something needs to be done about this. Numerous advertisements, such as one created by DBB New Zealand, have been made to combat smoking, but only few, such as one advertised in the United States, have made a clear message and provided statistics and side effects the public needs to see. With masterful use of text as image and dark, ominous colors the first advertisement successfully presents …show more content…

Showing a man holding a loaded revolver with cigarettes with black background and in large white text the phrase “Smoking Kills,” the ad implies that smoking is responsible for killing millions of people. The use of black and white color contrast works very well, to go along with the strong image presented. To go along with the color contrast, the use of light text and on the shadowing pitch-black background make a good-bad type comparison within the image. The ad also provides the numerous side effects of smoking cigarettes in small but clearly readable text. “Cancer, heart problems, gum disease, emphysema, depression and fatigue,” these are only a few of the smoking-related illnesses clearly written out in this advertisement (1). This ad wants people to realize the smoking-related illness, and side effects from smoking and successfully does so with the use of text as image. Smoking-related illnesses costs of the ones listed in the ad and more, account for $300 billion a year in the United States. Costs have been going up at an alarming rate due to the continued addiction of old smokers and the use of tobacco products by new smokers. At the bottom of the ad under the “Smoking Kills” phrase, it asks the viewers a question “so why bother starting?”(2) This use of text as image gives the viewers something to think about in the future when faced with temptations to smoke. Providing an abundance of information and using a strong visual, the first advertisement portrays a clear message and presents the viewers a strong argument. This is an example of a good, effective

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