Social Smoking is Like Social Farting, According to Canadian Ad Campaign

Cigarette smoke emanates from the mouth or nostrils, but a Canadian anti-smoking campaign taps another type of emission from another orifice to drive home their message that social smoking is still smoking which damages a person's health.

However, saying that message in a direct manner would never dissuade a nicotine user or addict from not lighting up despite the known dangers of the vice.

In an attempt to drive home their point that emissions - whether smoke or gas - from the body should be released only when alone, global advertising agency BBDO launched the Quit the Denial Campaign.

The campaign by the City of Toronto equates social smoking with farting.

In the ad, the attractive young woman admits to letting out gas occasionally when with friends. Rather than be tagged as a farter, she would rather be labeled only a social farter, similar to the reasoning of smokers who insist they are only social smokers.

While a number of YouTube viewers found the ad funny, some critics said the campaign does not send the right message because it makes social farting appear like a cool thing to do.

Commenting on the issue, PeterSavage, posted in Time's blog that if one million people would be asked which would they rather inhale - some else's fart or second-hand smoke - "the answer I am certain would be ALL one million saying ... 'second-hand smoke.'"

Flatulence, a medical condition, is certainly no laughing matter, according to experts.

However, the funny sound it creates plus the noxious smell that sometimes accompany gas release is a patented laughter creator, whether among friends, in TV gag shows or even the movies such as scenes from The Nutty Professor, Party Animal and Rocketman.

If you haven't had you fill yet of gas-induced laughter from the TV ad, here are 20 more classic farts from different movies.