A new set of graphic images have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration which are to be used on cigarette pack labels. The nine graphic warnings showing the harmful effects of cigarette smoking will cover at least 50% of labels in the market by mid-2013.
The new labels will replace the text only designs being used for more than 25 years now. In the U.S., deaths related to cigarette smoking reach an astounding 450,000 cases every year. This is why in 2009, The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was passed giving the government the right to get involved in the marketing and labeling of tobacco products in the market.
In a feature on Hufftington Post, Dr. Joanna Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at John Hopkins University, says that the most effective warning labels are those that can trigger emotions of consumers, such as fear and empathy. The size of the image on labels is also important. The bigger the image is, the more it can attract the attention of people.
The FDA’s website has posted their stand on the new approved images. “The introduction of these warnings is expected to have a significant public health impact by decreasing the number of smokers, resulting in lives saved, increased life expectancy and lower medical costs.”
A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control was able to gather information on the effect of graphic images on cigarette packs. Out of the 14 countries who adopted the World Health Organization’s treaty on requiring warning labels on tobacco products, a quarter of smokers in 13 countries said that they are thinking about quitting their nicotine habit because of the pictures that they see on labels.
Then again, Dr. Cohen says planning to quit is very different from actual quitting. In the U.S., almost $200 billion annually is lost due to productivity losses and medical costs linked to tobacco smoking.
Tags: cigarette packs, cigarette warning, quit smoking ads, smoking ads
