The Inteffectiveness of Warning Labels on Cigarette Packaging - Essay Example

? The Ineffectiveness of Warning Labels on Cigarette Packaging. 8th September The Ineffectiveness of Warning Labels on Cigarette Packets Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of cardiovascular, malignant diseases and disability in the United States of America. In accordance with a recent study, tobacco use resulted in approximately 12 million deaths over the span of forty years from 1964 to 2004. Out of these 12 million, cancer claimed 4.1 million lives and respiratory diseases were responsible for 1.1 million deaths. Moreover, smoking during pregnancy claimed the lives of more than 94,000 infants. In the US alone smoking causes an estimated 443,000 deaths annually. In addition, the health risks are not only limited to smokers but they also affect the individuals around these smokers because of the effects of passive smoking. The high death rate associated with smoking has forced the regulatory authorities around the world, to ensure that cigarette packets carry a warning (HILL D. (1988). Accordingly, the global Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has banned all forms of cigarette advertisements and promotions across the world. Therefore, cigarette packaging remains the principle promotional vehicle for manufacturers to spark an interest in smoking. However, in most countries it is mandatory for manufacturers to ensure that cigarette packets carry health warning labels. Written labels such ‘smokers die young’ and ‘smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attack’ are printed on packets. However, the packet area occupied, general strength and the dimensions of these labels are considerably different in various jurisdictions. The trend of pictorial inclusions with warnings started in Canada in the year 2008. Today, this pictorial inclusion trend has been adopted by more than 28 countries. Paraguay is the country which has the largest pictorial health warnings, amounting to about 60% of the area of a cigarette packet’s front (Smoking and AMD: Call for cigarette packet warnings.2006). FCTC has also proposed the idea of plain packaging of all tobacco products. Plain packaging removes the principle means of advertisement and can prove effective in discouraging future smokers. However, the concept of plain packaging has raised numerous objections from the tobacco manufacturing industries. But governments around the world are reluctant to compromise the health of their citizens and continue to experiment with ways to discourage cigarette smoking (BORLAND et al 2006). Many countries such as Norway, Thailand, Ireland, Iceland and certain regions of Canada have banned the display of cigarettes on Power walls and counter tops due to their high visibility. This ban associated with open display of tobacco products perhaps will lead to increased investment by manufacturers to design more innovative packaging. These creative ‘badge products’ cigarettes are usually interpreted as a maturity and status symbol by teenagers. Inevitably, this leads to reinforcement of attributes which are conjured by the concept of brand images and increase the effectiveness of advertisements. The effectiveness of plain packaging cannot be accurately visualized because plain packaging never materialized. However, an extensive study was conducted in which groups of people were presented with plain cigarette packets. The results were astonishing and the individuals claimed that these cigarettes were boring and did not have the same appeal and flair. The product warnings whether it is pictorial or written, are the most convenient and cost effective way to communicate health risks to consumers. The use of pictorial symbols such as ‘toxic constituent symbol’ on tobacco packaging is also being exercised by regulatory authorities in some European countries (HILLER JE et al (2009). Effectiveness of label warnings: In accordance with the results revealed from extensive studies of various interviews and focus groups it has been interpreted that the potential impact of pictorial warnings is greater than that of written warnings. Pictorial warnings include pictures depicting lung cancer, atherosclerosis, infant death etc. Furthermore, experimental exposure studies and population surveys conducted in Canada, Australia and Denmark have also supported this theory. Another interesting feature revealed was that product warnings had more impact on adult smokers than on teenage smokers. The effectiveness of pictorial warnings in forcing smokers to think about giving up smoking is basically due to: i. Pictorial warnings are easier to see and interpret than written warnings. Therefore these warnings are more significant in communicating health risks in developing countries where the literacy rate is low. ii. Pictorial warnings are more effective in drawing attention and creating awareness about the health risks associated with smoking. (HILLER JE et al.2011). However, it is revealed that these pictorial warning have only been successful to the extent of motivating smokers to think about quitting. It is worth mentioning that they have not been effective in discouraging potential individuals from actually giving up smoking. Primarily, the reason for this ineffectiveness is the addictive nature of cigarettes. Cigarettes are highly addictive due to the presence of nicotine. Nicotine acts as a stimulant by stimulating the release of beta endorphins in the Human brain. These are natural chemical substances that create a sense of temporary euphoria. The sense of euphoria is what makes the cigarettes irresistible and will force the smoker to smoke whenever he is faced with stressful conditions. Over a period of time, tolerance develops which is characterized by increased need of nicotine to produce the same height of euphoria. Thus, the individual is forced to smoke more cigarettes. Addiction is the primary reason why government attempts to reduce smoking have been ineffective. Product warning labels are effective in only motivating smokers to give up smoking. However, the ratio of people who actually give up smoking is far less than individuals who take up smoking each year. The effectiveness of product warnings is also low because most consumers tend to adopt an avoidant behavior and simply avoid looking at the warning labels. (MILLER et al 2011) The inclusion of warning labels on packets has been vigorously opposed by the tobacco products manufacturing industry. But health authorities around the world are simply not willing to compromise and continue to experiment with warning labels. Regardless, of strenuous government efforts the rate of people that take up smoking continues to rise. Many countries have imposed high taxes on tobacco products in an attempt to stop tobacco smoking. Despite these attempts, tobacco smoking continues to rise at the rate of 3.4% each year. No matter, how hard the governments’ try they seem to be ineffective in discouraging smokers and the reason is because tobacco is highly addictive (MILLER et al 2009). References: HILL D. (1988). New cigarette-packet warnings: are they getting through? The Medical Journal of Australia. 148, 478-80. (2006). Smoking and AMD: Call for cigarette packet warnings. OPTOMETRY TODAY -LONDON-. 46, 8-9. BORLAND, R., YONG, H.-H., WILSON, N., FONG, G. T., HAMMOND, D., CUMMINGS, K. M., HOSKING, W., & MCNEILL, A. (2009). RESEARCH REPORT: How reactions to cigarette packet health warnings influence quitting: findings from the ITC Four-Country survey. Addiction. 104, 669-675. MILLER, C. L., HILL, D. J., QUESTER, P. G., & HILLER, J. E. (2009). Response of mass media, tobacco industry and smokers to the introduction of graphic cigarette pack warnings in Australia. The European Journal of Public Health. 19, 644-649. MILLER C.L., HILLER J.E., HILL D.J., & QUESTER P.G. (2011). The impact of Australia's new graphic cigarette packet warnings on smokers' beliefs and attitudes. Australasian Marketing Journal. 19, 181-188. MILLER CL, QUESTER PG, HILL DJ, & HILLER JE. (2011). Smokers' recall of Australian graphic cigarette packet warnings & awareness of associated health effects, 2005-2008. BMC Public Health. 11. MILLER CL, HILL DJ, QUESTER PG, & HILLER JE. (2009). Impact on the Australian Quitline of new graphic cigarette pack warnings including the Quitline number. Tobacco Control. 18, 235-7. Read More