Reactions of Young Adult Smokers to Warning Labels on Cigarette Packages (original) (raw)
Young adults' perceptions of cigarette warning labels in the United States and Canada
Preventing chronic disease, 2007
For the past 20 years, there have been no changes to the text-only cigarette warning labels in the United States. During this same time period, other countries placed large graphic warning labels on cigarette packages. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reactions of U.S. young adult smokers and nonsmokers aged 18 to 24 years to Canadian cigarette label text and graphic warnings. The study focused on determining their perceptions and the potential impact of Canadian labels on smoking, and study participants were asked for suggestions for modifications of U.S. cigarette warning labels so they would be effective for smoking deterrence and cessation. During January and February 2002, 11 focus groups consisting of 54 smokers and 41 nonsmokers were conducted in the Detroit metropolitan area. Current smokers were defined as those who had smoked a cigarette within the past 30 days. Participants were asked about their knowledge and perceptions of current U.S. cigarette warning ...
Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique
Since 1989 when health warning labels appeared on Canadian cigarette packages, the labels have changed from text only covering less than one quarter of the package to text and graphics covering over half the package. This study examines how Canadians in their 20s feel about the current graphic warning labels and their potential to prevent smoking and encourage quitting. Participants between 20 and 24 years of age were part of a 10-year cohort study begun when the group was in Grade 6, with the purpose of examining factors that may affect smoking. Five questions about warning labels were added to the 2002 questionnaire requesting information on perceptions of the labels and their potential impact on smoking behaviours of young adults. One item had been included in previous questionnaires. 32.8% (n = 1267) of the respondents were smokers, with males (35.6%) being more likely to smoke than females (30.4%). Current smokers were less likely than experimental/ex-smokers to believe that wa...
2007
Abstract Cigarette smoking is a major source of mortality and medical costs in the United States. More graphic and salient warning labels on cigarette packs as used in Canada may help to reduce smoking initiation and increase quit attempts. However, the labels also may lead to defensive reactions among smokers. In an experimental setting, smokers and nonsmokers were exposed to Canadian or US warning labels.
BMC public health, 2014
Graphic warning labels are a tobacco control best practice that is mandated in the US for cigarettes under the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. However, smokeless tobacco products are not required to carry graphic warning labels, and as of September 2014, electronic cigarettes in the US carry no warning labels and are aggressively marketed, including with "reduced harm" or "FDA Approved" messages. In this online experiment, 483 US adult non-users of tobacco were randomized to view print advertisements for moist snuff, snus, and e-cigarettes with either warning labels (current warning label, graphic warning label) or "endorsements" (a "lower risk" label proposed by a tobacco company, an "FDA Approved" label) or control (tobacco advertisement with no label, advertisement for a non-tobacco consumer products). Main outcome measures included changes in perceived harm, positive attitudes towards, openness to using, a...
PubMed, 2020
Background: Smoking has become a major issue worldwide. With the advancement in technology, more vulnerable populations, such as teenagers, are also being harmed. One deterrent is the presence of graphic labels on cigarette packs. With this rationale in mind, the objective of our study is to assess the impact of these warning labels on the habits and opinions of smokers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by distributing a validated paper-based questionnaire. The sample size was calculated to be 200 using statistical software. The study targeted students of Islamabad, Pakistan, who were studying in twelfth grade and were smokers. The sampling method used was 'snowball sampling'. Findings: 128 (64%) males and 72 (36%) females participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 17.59 ± 0.51 years. 40 participants reported choosing local brands for cigarettes due to cigarette 'freshness', regardless of presence or absence of a graphic label, which was a new concept. 94% of participants believed that presence of a visual label helped with understanding the harm and 78% believed that the side effects were accurately portrayed. Participants who were more than 17 years of age believed that the graphic label provided a clear description of the consequences of smoking. Similar results were seen in the female participants of the study. Conclusion: There is a general consensus on graphic labels altering the opinions of smokers. The presence of these labels is, however, targeting only a specific type of audience and hence, should be expanded for a larger audience.
Effects of cigarette on-pack warning labels on smoker’s perceptions and behaviour
2006
This research explored smokers' reactions to pictorial warnings on cigarette packaging, and compared these to new and existing text-only warning labels. Purposive sampling yielded a sample of 310; each respondent saw one of five warning labels and their affective, cognitive and behavioural responses were measured during structured interviews. Respondents perceived the pictorial warning labels to be more credible and effective than the text-only versions, but not more fear inducing. The pictorial warnings elicited higher levels of cessation related behaviours and were perceived as better deterrents to non-smokers than any of the text-only warnings.
Health Communication, 2008
This study investigates gain-framed and loss-framed messages on graphic cigarette warning labels and their effects on adolescents' smoking-related attitudes and behaviors. Canadian cigarette warning labels emphasizing health consequences of smoking (loss-framed) were digitally manipulated into gain-framed versions. High school students (N = 210) completed a questionnaire measuring attitudes, perceptions of the warnings, and behavioral intentions. The study used a posttest-only comparison group design with random assignment. The independent variable was message framing (loss-framed, gain-framed avoidance, gain-framed benefits), and the dependent variables were (a) attitudes toward the warning, (b) attitudes toward smoking, (c) effectiveness in reducing smoking levels, (d) intentions to smoke, (e) effectiveness in improving one's ability to quit, and (f) effectiveness in increasing the likelihood of a smoker quitting. Results indicate that adolescents had more favorable attitudes toward the loss-framed warnings and perceived them as more effective than the gainframed warnings. Further, smokers exposed to the loss-framed version featuring decaying teeth had significantly lower intentions to smoke in the future. Loss-framed warning labels appear to have a positive influence on adolescents' smoking-related attitudes and behavioral intentions.
Graphic warning labels on plain cigarette packs: Will they make a difference to adolescents?
Social Science & Medicine, 2012
Graphic warning labels and plain cigarette packaging are two initiatives developed to increase quit behaviour among smokers. Although a little is known about how adolescents interpret graphic warning labels, very few studies have examined how plain cigarette packaging would affect adolescents' perceptions of cigarette smoking and smoking behaviour. We explored how teens interpret and respond to graphic warning labels and the plain packaging of cigarettes, to assess the potential these strategies may offer in deterring smoking initiation. Twelve focus group interviews with a sample of 80 14e16 year old students from a diverse range of schools in Auckland, New Zealand were undertaken between June and August 2009. Textual analysis revealed that graphic warning labels may influence adolescents by reiterating a negative image of smokers. Graphic warning on a plain cigarette pack increased the attention paid to graphic warning labels and the overall perceptions of harm caused by cigarette smoking, and reduced the social appeal of cigarette smoking. This research offers evidence on how adolescents are appraising and interpreting graphic warning labels, and explores how dominant appraisals may affect the role graphic warning labels play in preventing smoking. Not only would plain cigarette packaging enhance the salience and impact of graphic warning labels, but it would potentially bolster the overall message that cigarette smoking is harmful. In the context of a comprehensive tobacco control programme, graphic warning labels on plain cigarette packaging present an explicit message about the risks (to health and image) associated with cigarette smoking.