The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced in their website on Sept 22, the implementation of the ban on cigarettes with flavours such as fruit, candy, or clove.

The ban, authorised by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is the national effort to reduce smoking in America.

This is the first time US White House gives FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products, empowering the agency to approve or nix new products and bars companies from adding flavours to cigarettes that critics say they aimed at attracting - and hooking - young smokers. As studies have shown those 17 years old smokers are three times as likely to use flavoured cigarettes as smokers are over the age of 25.

Malaysia, in its efforts to deter smoking, in the case, we have creative advertisements to urge people in the country not to smoke. Authorities have put up photos on cigarette boxes, scary posters and brochures around corners to warn people and disgusting TV advertisements to alert people.

In my opinion, the advertisements are not effective. The smokers are mature enough to choose whether they want to smoke or stop. Nobody forces them to smoke.

The campaign is likely not working as tobacco companies are still making profits. They aren't allowed to advertise but they are allowed to sponsor events, still putting them in the limelight.

The ‘Tak Nak' campaign has seen a lot of money being spent. But is it effective? Every year, more money is spent on campaigns. Taxes on cigarettes keep being raised.

In fact, to stop smoking, advertising would not be very effective. It would not give a huge impact on those smokers.

We may have other better ways to do it. In the near future, enforcement and implementation of new acts may help. To control the sale of cigarettes, not by increasing the price or tax but perhaps reduce the selling points of tobacco by restriction of licenses. In the long term, education would matter more.

When we're not educating people about its dangers, there's a problem there. Perhaps it stems from children getting used to parents smoking at home. That just defeats the purpose of any campaigns at all.