Graphic warning labels showing images of bodily damage…
Graphic warning labels showing images of bodily damage have the most impact on the young who may be considering smoking Chudech S, Janmaimool P. Effectiveness of warning graphic labels on cigarette packs in enhancing late-teenagers’ perceived fear of smoking-related harms in Bangkok, Thailand. J Public Health Res. 2021 Jan 14; 10(1): 1912.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7856827/
Researchers surveyed 353 students about the level of fear generated by 21 different graphic warning images. The results showed that warning graphic images exhibiting patients suffering from cancers (e.g., lung or laryngeal cancer) and images of damaged body parts were perceived as the scariest warning images.
The scariest images generated a significantly higher fear of smoking-related harms than the least scary images. In addition, non-smoking participants were more sensitive to scary warning images than smoking participants. Developing effective warning graphic images could directly contribute to individuals’ perceived health risks and dangers associated with smoking.
Comment: Images showing the real consequences of smoking are known to deter smoking initiation, while not as effective with those already smokers.
Stephen Hamann
