Arctic Monkeys have defended their cover art against the slightly inevitable allegations that the image of a man smoking a cigarette is promoting the filthy habit. Dr Laurence Gruer of NHS Health Scotland said that the artwork on the cover of the band's debut 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' reinforces the idea that smoking is OK, and told the Glasgow Herald newspaper: "Although the band is from Sheffield, thousands of youngsters in Scotland will buy it because it is good music. It is the fastest-selling album in British history, but it gives out the wrong image. With a blatant image of a guy smoking, it will be seen by many as a cool thing to do."
The band's product manager, however, says that the image doesn't particularly portray smoking in a positive light; Johnny Bradshaw said: "You can see from the image smoking is not doing him the world of good," adding "We have not had any complaints from supermarkets or places where the album has been stocked."