Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. People lining up in a Disneyland parking lot to receive COVID-19 vaccines on January 13, 2021 in Anaheim, California. Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images Fear can be an effective strategy to dissuade the public from certain behaviors, like smoking or drunk-driving. Still, professors and public health ethics experts Lauren Fairchild and Ronald Bayer say scare tactics against COVID-19 could backfire. They believe fear-based messaging could further erode the public's trust in scientists and health officials. You probably still remember public service ads that scared you: The cigarette smoker with throat cancer. The victims of a drunk driver. The guy who neglected his cholesterol lying in a morgue with a toe tag.