An antismoking ad sponsored by The New York City Department of Health crossed the line for many viewers. The spot showed a young boy who cries hysterically as a crowd of adults walks by him. The voice over says, “This is how your child feels after losing you for a minute. Just imagine if they lost you for life.”The ad aroused a lot of controversy because it was not clear if the child was merely acting or if the spot’s producers provoked his tears for the camera. Is this genre of “scared straight” advertising an effective way to convince people to curb unhealthy behaviors like smoking?