Graphic warnings: An effective tool that keeps kids away from smoking

Teens or youngsters who think cigarettes are cool, change their minds after coming across such cautious labels

Graphic warning labels on cigarette ads, which contain images such as bleeding, cancerous gums and lips, can effectively deter children from smoking, a study has found. Such labels cancel out the effect of ads that prompt children to think of smoking as cool, rebellious and fun, according to a study published in the journal Health Education Research.

“This study suggests the value of graphic warning labels extends beyond just getting people to have more negative feeling about smoking,” said Jeff Niederdeppe, an associate professor at Cornell University in the US.

“It also seems to have the added benefit of reducing the influence of ‘social cue’ ads that entice young people to want to smoke in the first place,” said Niederdeppe. Researchers studied the graphic warning labels’ effect on 451 adult smokers and 474 middle schoolers in rural and urban low-income communities in the Northeast.

Each participant was randomly assigned a set of six ads. Some saw ads with social cues — such as a group of smiling people taking a selfie with a graphic warning label covering 20 per cent of the ad. Other groups saw ads with various combinations of text-only warnings, graphic warnings, the current surgeon general warning, brand imagery and social cues.

Researchers tracked study participants’ eyes to measure what parts of the ad they looked at and for how long. After viewing the ads, participants reported the degree to which they felt negative emotions, including anger, fear and sadness.

The graphic warning label drew viewers’ attention away from ads and toward the warning, regardless of whether the warning was graphic or text only, more than the current surgeon general warning. The graphic warning labels also aroused more negative feelings than the textonly labels and reduced the children’s perceptions that cigarette brands are attractive and exciting.

“That’s important, because there’s pretty good evidence that the visceral reactions to these warnings are a main driver of their effectiveness,” Niederdeppe said. “These ads are trying to create a positive brand image, and the graphic warning labels help suppress that,” he said.