Research

Tobacco Warning Labels Encourage Smokers to Quit and Discourage Nonsmokers from Starting to Smoke

 The evidence that warning labels can and do work is solid and extensive. The International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (“ITC”) is an international cohort study that consists of surveys of adult smokers in nineteen countries and focuses on tobacco control policy evaluation. According to ITC research on tobacco warning labels, adult and youth smokers report that large, comprehensive warning 

labels reduce smoking consumption, increase motivation to quit and increase the likelihood that they will remain abstinent following a quit attempt.

 Another ITC research project includes a four-country comparative study by Hammond, et al. which found that text-only labels (as seen in the U.S.) were associated with lower levels of awareness about the health risks of smoking than prominent, pictorial warning labels (as seen in Canada and Australia). 

 Furthermore, the study indicated that pictorial warning labels were more effective than text-only labels in leading people to think about quitting and deterring them from having a cigarette. Other important findings from the study include: 

• “Large, graphic warnings on cigarette packages are an effective means of increasing health knowledge among smokers [and] may also help to reduce the disparities in health knowledge by providing low-income smokers with regular access to health information.”  

Smokers in countries where a warning depicts a particular health hazard of smoking were much more likely to know about that hazard and smokers who reported noticing warnings were 1.5 to 3.0 times more likely to believe in each health hazard. This is important because smokers who perceive greater health risk from smoking are more likely to intend to quit and quit smoking successfully.

 This study provides strong evidence that perhaps the most effective way to convey health risks to smokers is with graphic, large and comprehensive warning labels. Other studies suggest that picture warnings that include graphic, fear-arousing depictions of smoking’s effect on the body are the most effective because they are associated with increases in motivation to quit smoking, thinking about health risks and engaging in cessation behavior. A follow-up investigation of the four-country study revealed 

that larger, pictorial warning labels were associated with increased quit attempts.  

Another study, 

released in 2010, found that more graphic depictions of health consequences on warning labels produced stronger effects and strengthened smokers’ intentions to quit smoking. A recent Canadian study found that, after controlling for price, graphic tobacco warnings significantly decreased the odds of being a smoker and significantly increased the odds of making a quit attempt.

From:

  http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0325.pdf 

title- <TOBACCO WARNING LABELS: EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS>

No adverse consequences

The tobacco industry has suggested that the use of large pictures may reduce the effectiveness of health warnings and could actually lead to increases in smoking behaviour. This is captured in a quotation from the former chief executive officer of British American Tobacco: “The growing use of graphic image health warnings … can offend and harass consumers – yet in fact give them no more information than print warnings.”1 However, there is no evidence that pictorial warnings lead to boomerang effects. An analysis of data from the ITC Four Country Survey found that the Australian pictorial warnings, introduced in 2005, led to greater avoidant behaviours (e.g. covering up the pack, keeping it out of sight, or avoiding particular labels), compared to Canada, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Importantly, those smokers who engaged in avoidant behaviours were no less likely to intend to quit or to attempt to quit,8 replicating the findings of a study of the Canadian warnings.5Thus, although pictorial warnings can lead to avoidance and defensive reactions, such reactions are actually indicators of positive impact.

From :

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/87/8/09-069575/en/  

title- <The impact of pictures on the effectiveness of tobacco warnings>

Geoffrey T Fong a, David Hammond a & Sara C Hitchman aa. University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.Correspondence to Geoffrey T Fong (e-mail: gfong@uwaterloo.ca). Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2009;87:640-643. doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.069575

Higher cigarette prices reduce cigarette smoking by decreasing smoking prevalence and reducing the number of cigarettes smoked by continuing smokers.

Well over 100 studies from high-income countries have confirmed the inverse relationship between cigarette prices and cigarette smoking. The consensus among researchers working in this area is that a 10% increase in the price of cigarettes in developed countries will result in a 3 to 5% reduction in overall cigarette consumption. Studies that investigate the impact of cigarette prices on smoking prevalence and average smoking intensity among smokers separately generally find that approximately half of the impact of price on overall cigarette demand results from reducing the number of smokers by motivating current smokers to quit and discouraging youths from ever starting to smoke.

Smokers living in areas with higher cigarette prices are significantly more motivated to quit. However, the use of coupons, buying low-tax cigarettes on Native American reservations, or buying cigarettes on the internet,common strategies used by smokers to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses, weaken the impact of price on smoking behavior. For example, smokers who bought cigarettes from Native American reservations were half as likely to make a quit attempt compared with those who bought full-priced cigarettes.

To have a positive impact on public health, cigarette prices need to increase faster than incomes to ensure that cigarettes become less affordable over time

from :

http://www.treatobacco.net/en/page_120.php

But some are concerned about whether the tax hike could effectively discourage tobacco use and prevent young people from becoming addicted to cigarettes. 

“Price increases can be an effective tool in the short term, but they alone can’t help people quit smoking,” said an official from the Korea Health Promotion Foundation. 

In addition to a price increase, the government should introduce strict antismoking policies, such as requiring tobacco producers to put graphic and visual warnings on cigarette packages, as well as putting more anti-smoking advertisements on TV, she added

From :

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140710000840

Won't quit smoking Kim Jeong-hee, a 29-year-old office worker in Seoul, does not agree. Although she admits that nation's high smoking rate is a social problem that has to be fixed, she said raising the price cannot be the sole solution to tackle the matter. "It is just an absurd idea to reduce the smoking rate by just raising the price. For many ordinary people, smoking is a joyful and comforting activity in their tiring lives. Sometimes, they smoke to relieve stress," she said. "I know it is not the right way to relieve stress because it damages their health. However, it has to be improved by such measures as education or a campaign. Simply increasing prices will only burden those people," she added. Kim refuted arguments by antismoking advocates that the nation's cigarette price is very low compared to that of other OECD countries. "Before talking about that, you should compare Korea's average salary to that of OECD countries first as Korea's salary level is comparatively low as well," the 29-year-old said. She added, "As far as I know, lawmakers who are pushing forward with the idea also intend to find a new source of tax revenue in order to fulfill President Park Geun-hye's welfare pledges, which is very disappointing." Kim, who is a "social smoker," said the higher cigarette price would not lead her to quit smoking, either as she continued to smoke while studying in Britain where the price is about six times more expensive. Kim Seok-gi, a 30-year-old worker, is a habitual smoker. When he first heard that cigarettes might become more expensive, he couldn't concentrate on his work. "I was so upset when I heard the news. I think people who have smoked for a long time felt exactly the same way," Kim said. "And I believe the higher price for a pack doesn't necessarily lead people to stop smoking." Kim studied in England for 11 years and came back to Korea about two years ago. "When I think about how much I paid for a pack of cigarettes in London, it's way too cheap here. In England, a pack costs about 14,000 won, which is about six times more expensive," he said. "Because prices are much lower in Korea, I am now used to them. So I am 100 percent against the increase," he said. A few days ago, he talked about this issue with his friends at a cafe. All five of them agreed with him. "You know, some of my friends even said they would try not to spend much on other things and save for cigarettes instead. It sounds somewhat ridiculous but I totally agree with their thinking. Addicts will still smoke, so I doubt if there will be any change, to be honest," Kim said. Kim Eun-ji, secretary general of the Korean Association of Smoking and Health, a private anti-smoking organization, strongly agreed with the proposed revision bill aimed at ramping up the price of cigarettes. She said, "To reduce the smoking rate to 20 percent, the price per pack must be 8,000 won to 10,000 won. Only then will smokers feel heavy pressure from a higher price, and the smoking rate will decrease sharply." Kim also said that though the policies of the government to reduce the number of the smokers have been effective, there are limits. "The policies such as the expansion of nonsmoking areas and the restriction of tobacco ads in magazines were effective. But to produce more successful results, the authorities should adopt a firmer price policy at the same time," she insisted. However, the government still faces resistance from the tobacco retailers to the price increase. The Korea Tobacco Retailer Association (KTRA) said Saturday in a statement, "In our own survey, about 70 percent of our members answered that the increase of 2,000 won per pack is too much and an increase of 500 won is proper." KTRA insisted, "The government should give a subsidy to retailers who will suffer a loss." It remains to be seen if lawmakers will vote for the proposed price hike in the face of opposition from not only smokers and the retailers but also a discord among policymakers. From : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2014/09/399_131964.html          baekby@ktimes.co.kr,