The Checkup: CDC’s New Anti-Smoking Campaign Is Graphic

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new campaign this week to try to get people to stop smoking. They’re calling it Tips from Former Smokers, and the idea is to scare you into kicking the habit by sharing stories of people—real people—who are facing all kinds of smoking-related illnesses. The stories are real tear jerkers (the video I embedded above is a prime example), but you have to wonder if the campaign will really make an impact. I mean, I get that personifying statistics is way better than forcing cold, hard facts down people’s throats, but I think you still have the “it won’t happen to me” battle to fight. I will say this: the videos are much more powerful than the badges and buttons, which are available for the public to download and post on their own websites and Facebook pages (because obviously you will). But the thing is, the graphic design is laughably bad—like, LOLcats level, don’t you think? And it’s not trying to be ironic.

• Hey ladies, don’t beat yourself up if you begin forgetting things once menopause hits. That whole brain fog thing is for real.

• I mostly just like this headline: “Thumbs-Up After Successful Thumb Reattachment.” Clever people make me smile (and the thumb surgery isn’t half bad, either).