From June 23 to July 7, a television campaign launched by the French National Health Insurance Fund (Assurance Maladie) and the National Institute for Public Health Education (INPES) "revealed" to the general public the toxic composition of cigarette smoke. Designed as a public health warning, the campaign generated significant media attention and sparked controversy. Following its broadcast, an evaluation was conducted among 896 people representative of the population aged 15 and older. [article excerpt]