Health warning move can put smokers off

Stirling University research put warning messages on individual cigarettes with many people finding it ‘off-putting’

Printing “smoking kills” on individual cigarettes – rather than just on packs – could cut those getting hooked on the habit “significantly”, according to new research.

Experts from Stirling’s Institute of Social Marketing examined smokers’ perceptions of the warning “smoking kills” on individual cigarettes.

They found smokers felt the approach had the potential to discourage smoking among young people, those starting to smoke, and non-smokers.

Participants felt a warning on each cigarette would prolong the health message, as it would be visible when taken from a pack, lit, left in an ashtray, and with each draw, thus making avoidant behaviour more difficult.

The visibility of the warning to others was perceived as off-putting for some because it was associated with a negative image.

Within several female groups, the warnings were viewed as depressing, worrying and frightening, with it suggested that people would not feel good smoking cigarettes displaying a warning.

The possibility of warnings on cigarettes is included in the Scottish Government’s tobacco-control action plan, “Raising Scotland’s Tobacco-free Generation”.

The Canadian Government has also held a consultation on the proposals and published their findings earlier this month.

The Stirling study canvassed the opinion of 120 smokers, aged 16 and over, in 20 focus groups held in Edinburgh and Glasgow in 2015.

Within every group, participants felt that warnings on individual cigarettes would potentially have an impact on themselves or others.

Psychologist Dr Crawford Moodie, who led the research, said: “The consensus was that individual cigarettes emblazoned with warnings would be offputting for young people, those starting to smoke, and non-smokers.

“This study suggests that the introduction of such warnings could impact the decision-making of these groups. It shows that this approach is a viable policy option and one which would – for the first time – extend health messaging to the consumption experience.”

The research – funded by Cancer Research UK – also involved: Dr Rachel O’Donnell, Joy Fleming, Dr Richard Purves and Jennifer McKell (all of the ISM at Stirling), and Fiona Dobbie, of the Usher Institute of Population Health at Edinburgh University.

The study was published in the journal Addiction Research and Theory.

Picture: PA. Printing “smoking kills” on each cigarette could have a greater impact on smokers according to the new research.