Champix Australian Campaign Illustrates Impact of Tar on Lungs

8 Aug 2011   A "Tarmy," one of several tar-covered figurines in Sydney demonstrates the damage tar can cause to smokers' lungs. By Lucy McFadden PfizerWorld Correspondent Network The Champix brand team and Public Affairs and Policy have launched a new campaign in Australia to raise awareness about the damage tar can cause to smokers’ lungs. Known as "Tarmy," the campaign features a collection of 10 silhouetted figures placed in prominent locations throughout Sydney and Melbourne to show how damaging tar inhalation alone can be as a result of smoking. “Each figure represents a different smoker profile, from the social smoker who has inhaled 288 grams of tar in their lungs as a result of weekend smoking, to the heavy pack-a-day smoker with an addiction of more than 55 years who has inhaled around 4.1 kilograms of tar," said Senior Brand Manager Joel Ho.   The research also found that some 27 percent of current smokers underestimate the amount of tar inhaled into their lungs, while 72 percent actually overestimate the volume inhaled. In addition, only 31 percent of current smokers are aware of how quickly the body can recuperate from tar accumulation once they quit smoking. Despite this lack of understanding about the amount of tar in their lungs, tar accumulation was rated as the third most significant reason current smokers would quit smoking, behind general health impact and tax increases on cigarettes. To read Pfizer's news release on the campaign and study, click here. Lucy McFadden is Associate Manager, Online Communications for Pfizer Australia.  Tar-covered figures represent different smoker profiles. The research also highlights how difficult it is for smokers to quit. While almost one in five current smokers say they decided to quit smoking in response to advertising campaigns, 33 percent of the respondents said they actually light up in response to antismoking advertising and 29 percent of smokers say they 'look the other way.'  As part of the campaign, Pfizer also conducted research to mark the fourth anniversary of Australia's enclosed-spaces smoking ban, which shows that Australian smokers have little understanding of the impact of tar on their lungs.