Do public health campaigns work?

Dr Brian Owler gives his reasons for fronting a road safety campaign and the next issues in his sights.

The AIDS awareness campaign was the first graphic public health campaign of its kind — the Grim Reaper playing ten pin bowling with children, parents and old people.

Since then there’s been dozens more, targeting everything from anti-smoking to domestic violence. Associate professor Brian Owler is the face of the RTA’s “Choose Wisely” campaign.

He rejects the suggestion that these ads constitute a “nanny state” agenda and tells 3Q why more needs to be done on issues like building and pool safety in order to protect children.