Objective:

To compare high-school adolescents' attitudes towards cigarettes use after exposure to three counter-advertising posters.

Materials and methods:

Preexperimental study through static-group comparison; sample of 50 adolescents selected by non-probabilistic sampling and assigned to a group exposed to counter-advertising (n = 25) and a waiting list control group (n = 25). The counter-advertising strategy consisted of three posters delivered through the Internet. The posters included images and messages related to the consequences of cigarettes use. Data collection was conducted online using Google Forms. A sociodemographic card and the scale of attitudes towards tobacco were used. The data were processed through SPSS version 24.0 using non-parametric inferential analysis (Mann-Whitney U test).

Results:

Statistically significant differences were identified between both groups (U = 145.0, p < 0.001) where students exposed to counter-advertising showed a lower median of favorable attitudes towards cigarettes (Med = 17.0, SD = 5.11) compared to control group (Med = 25.0, SD = 7.91). In particular, there were significant differences in the dimension of dislike towards tobacco consumption between the exposed group and the control group (U = 127.5, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The results suggest that adolescents who received the counter-advertising showed less favorable attitudes towards cigarettes. The information provided through the posters about cigarette related-consequences, even when administered through Internet, could lead to the modification of attitudes towards cigarettes consumption in Mexican adolescents. Therefore, counter-advertising could become a useful strategy for health personnel in primary prevention against cigarette smoking.