Fear-based messaging in anti-smoking campaigns can drive behavioral change, study finds

MedicalXpress | Jun 09, 2026

Fear can be used strategically in public health messaging to encourage people to quit smoking and avoid tobacco use, according to a joint study by researchers from the University of Sharjah and the University of Jordan. The study examines how the U.S.-based public health agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) constructs fear-based messages in its long-running anti-smoking campaigns and identifies a set of persuasive strategies that drive behavioral change.