Second-hand Smoke Isn't an Accident; It's Murder

In this image from the CONAC Chilean Corporation Against Cancer, the message they are trying to relay to the audience is the dangers of second-hand smoke. This simple, yet strong image provokes emotion because the center of attention is an upset child. With an all black background and miniscule white letters, the child becomes the focal point of the image, leaving the viewer no where else to look but at him: a child in distress, seemingly suffocating due to the cloud of smoke placed over his head like a plastic bag. The caption, reading “Smoking isn’t just suicide. It’s murder,” provides an entirely different perspective on smoking. When smoking is referred to as “suicide,” the user is killing his or herself, a thought that is awful, but less worrisome than committing murder. Then to actually realize that the effects of smoking are not only affecting oneself, but is, in a sense, suffocating another through secondhand smoke and consequently taking their life, the outcomes of death become more convincing, being that murder is a punishable offense. Therefore, through this image, the dangers of second-hand smoke are portrayed.