Making warnings stick
HEALTH warnings have long graced cigarette packets, but every single smoke may soon come with its own health alert.
Research done by James Cook University’s Dr Aaron Drovandi reveals the graphic images of smoking’s health impacts shown on cigarette packets are losing their shock value with the general public.
Dr Drovandi is pushing for advertising which would include a timeline on individual cigarettes showing how many minutes of life have been lost from each one smoked.
His research involved feedback from 2000 people from Australia and across the world including the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
“The word ‘desensitised’ came up a lot during this research,” Dr Drovandi said.
“The printing of warnings and graphic images on cigarette packaging was very effective when it was first introduced, but it’s started to lose its effectiveness.
“So we had to think of an idea to reinforce the message that smoking is bad for health.”
Dr Drovandi said his research, which was supported by advisers from JCU’S College of Medicine and Dentistry, showed novel warnings and messages on individual cigarettes were more effective than current packaging warnings.
“Effective alternative warnings relating to tobacco use, such as the ‘minutes of life lost’ per cigarette and the financial consequences of smoking can be printed onto individual cigarettes,” he said. “This not only delivers key information on smoking, but also makes the cigarette less appealing.”
Dr Drovandi said cigarette packaging and individual cigarettes should carry warnings about the short-term health and non-health related consequences of tobacco use.
“They proved to be the most engaging messages and most likely to elicit positive public health changes in the community,” he said.
Dr Drovandi said smoking remained the largest preventable cause of death in Australia and still caused the death of an estimated 15,000 Australians every year, despite significant drops in tobacco use.
“Improving the quality and volume of information that is out there is vital in ensuring that young people – who are very much the target market for cigarette companies – are deterred from smoking, and current smokers are aware of the danger,” he said.
“It was a long battle between the Government and tobacco companies when cigarette packaging was introduced, and there may be another long battle for cigarette stick warnings to be passed through legislation.” Olivia Sinardi, 33, Rosslea, non-smoker: “No, people who smoke probably wouldn’t be deterred from the warnings. If they want to smoke they will regardless.”
Would warnings on individual cigarettes deter smokers?