A new anti-smoking campaign is playing on the heart strings of cat lovers by using viral kitty videos to spread the word about the dangers of tobacco.
The ad, which first aired during the Grammy Awards, features a series of memorable cat videos — one feline riding a Roomba, another playing a piano keyboard. But it also carries a serious message amid all this cat-cuteness: Smoking endangers your pet’s health, as well as your own,
Live Science reports.
"Cats are twice as likely to get cancer if their owner smokes," proclaims a voice in the video, produced by the nonprofit Truth Initiative. "Smoking = no cats = no cat videos."
The ad encourages viewers to "Be the generation that ends smoking."
Public health experts are giving the campaign two thumbs up, noting smokers with pets may not know that tobacco can affect animals too.
"It's very clever," said Andrea Spatarella, a nurse practitioner at Northwell Health's Center for Tobacco Control in Great Neck, New York. "[It] may bring awareness to somebody that they're not only damaging their own heath, but [also] damaging the health of a pet they love dearly."
Dr. Seema Yasmin, a public health professor and medical analyst for CNN, agreed, tweeting: "This is how you do public health education. Look and learn #CATmageddon."
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