November 7, 1997

Joe Chemo abducted

Not long after they were posted in the Peer Health Education and University Health Services offices on the second floor of SUB, the two Joe Chemo posters disappeared. A thief walked into both offices-and in broad daylight-took the posters off the walls.

Peer health education program director Judy Hancock was amused. Yes, amused. "When you're in peer health education, you're always trying to capture people's attention," says Hancock, who promptly ordered more from Adbusters, the Vancouver company that produced them. Satire is an incredibly effective way of conveying messages, she says--apparently, someone else thought so too.

The poster is powerful. It depicts "Joe Chemo" in a hospital bed connected to an intravenous tube. The hairless camel-presumably as a consequence of chemotherapy-is staring wistfully at his cool sunglasses. In the corner of the poster, the caption resembling a cigarette package warning label reads: "The surgeon general warns that smoking is a frequent cause of wasted potential and fatal regret."

The poster is a satirical response by the advertising company to the Joe Camel cigarette character. The company has produced others. Some have appeared as magazine advertisements, others have ended up on billboards.

Hancock, who founded the Misericordia Hospital's smoking cessation program, says the poster is an unorthodox way of conveying a strong message. Oh, and by the way, if you want one, you can purchase them from University Health Services. They're only $5. They make great Christmas gifts for teachers, or simply to hang in residence.

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