Don't Smoke Signals

Compared to the elaborate ideologies expressed by other websites produced by the federal government, smokefree.gov is a relatively barebones affair that is supposed to serve as a clearinghouse for resources intended to encourage citizens to quit smoking and enable them to continue to abstain over time.

However, its main pitch actually urges visitors who are still smoking to use toll-free telephone numbers rather than rely on web-based resources. The question of how persuasive it is to have access to interactive multimedia that make the case for healthy lifestyle choices goes unanswered on smokefree.gov. Of course, most computer games for quitting smoking are quite primitive right now, but Ubisoft is slated to make a game for Nintendo DS that will be available in the fall.