We all know smoking is bad for our health, but do you know how it affects your cat?
Pets are two times as likely to get cancer if their owner smokes.
Smoking=no cats=no cat videos.
During the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, the youth tobacco prevention campaign, truth calls on viewers to prevent #CATmageddon. The campaign uses the fact that pets are two times as likely to get cancer if their owner smokes as a way to gain attention for the number one cause of preventable death — tobacco.
So, what would #CATmageddon look like?
The ad is humorous — featuring some of the Internet’s furriest stars including Aaron’s Animals, Keyboard Cat and Lil Bub to name a few — but the underlying message is serious: tobacco kills. One in three youth smokers will eventually die from tobacco-related diseases, and the harm extends beyond just humans. For those who overlook the long-term impact tobacco has on the body, it’s harder to ignore the harm that tobacco has on pets. With more than 1.1 million cat channels on YouTube, the threat of an Internet without cat videos underscores the urgency of the tobacco epidemic.
With the #CATmageddon campaign, truth continues to use popular culture as a way to engage in the conversation about tobacco. Sharing the ad on social media is one way to spread the message. To celebrate 1,000 re-tweets of the ad from @truthorange, cat-superstar Aaron’s Animals will unlock a unique video via thetruth.com. Follow YouTube.com/truthorange and @truthorange to join the movement.
About truth
truth® is one of the most successful and one of the largest national youth tobacco prevention campaigns. The campaign exposes the tactics of the tobacco industry, the truth about addiction, and the health effects and social consequences of smoking. truth gives teens facts to make their own informed choices about tobacco use and inspires them to use their social influence and creativity in the fight against tobacco. The campaign is credited with preventing hundreds of thousands of teens from starting to smoke, and is working to make this the generation that ends smoking for good. To learn more, visit thetruth.com. truth is part of Truth Initiative, a national public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. To learn more about Truth Initiative’s work speaking, seeking and spreading the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org.
