Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country study
Introduction Innovations in tobacco control interventions are required to ensure continued reductions in global tobacco use, and to minimise attributable morbidity and mortality. We therefore aimed to investigate the perceived effectiveness of current cigarette packaging warnings and the potential e...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Publishing
2019-03-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Smoker-Perceptions-of-Health-Warnings-on-Cigarette-Packaging-and-Cigarette-Sticks,104753,0,2.html |
| _version_ | 1818749218760687616 |
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| author | Aaron Drovandi Peta-Ann Teague Beverley Glass Bunmi Malau-Aduli |
| author_facet | Aaron Drovandi Peta-Ann Teague Beverley Glass Bunmi Malau-Aduli |
| author_sort | Aaron Drovandi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction
Innovations in tobacco control interventions are required to ensure
continued reductions in global tobacco use, and to minimise attributable morbidity
and mortality. We therefore aimed to investigate the perceived effectiveness of
current cigarette packaging warnings and the potential effectiveness of cigarettestick
warnings across four countries.
Methods
An online survey was distributed to adult smokers in Australia, Canada,
the United Kingdom, and the United States. Participants rated (using a 5-point
Likert scale) and commented on the effectiveness of current cigarette packaging
warnings and text warnings on eight cigarette sticks that prompted smokers to
quit. Ratings were analysed using proportional odds logistic regression, and
comments were analysed using content analysis.
Results
Participants (N=678, mean age=44.3 years) from all four countries
perceived cigarette packaging warnings as being minimally effective in prompting
smokers to quit, citing desensitisation and irrelevance of the warnings, with US
participants particularly critical of the text-only warnings. Compared to packaging
warnings, the cigarette-stick warnings describing the financial costs of smoking
and the effect of smoking on others, were the highest rated in all four countries
(OR=3.42, 95% CI: 2.75–4.25, p<0.001 and OR=2.85, 95% CI: 2.29–3.55,
p<0.001, respectively) and cited as strong messages to reduce smoking. Half of
the participants either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ to the use of cigarette-stick
warnings.
Conclusions
The findings of this study suggest that cigarette packaging warnings
may experience a loss of effectiveness over time, eventually resulting in minimal
impact on smoker behaviour. Health and non-health focused warnings and
messages on individual cigarette sticks represent a novel and potentially effective
method for reducing tobacco use. This would complement tobacco control
interventions currently employed, resulting in public health benefits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T04:00:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40f4f8293c8a4e8aa47c64748af26564 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1617-9625 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T04:00:17Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | European Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-40f4f8293c8a4e8aa47c64748af265642022-12-21T21:21:42ZengEuropean PublishingTobacco Induced Diseases1617-96252019-03-0117March10.18332/tid/104753104753Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country studyAaron Drovandi0Peta-Ann Teague1Beverley Glass2Bunmi Malau-Aduli3College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, AustraliaCollege of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, AustraliaCollege of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, AustraliaCollege of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, AustraliaIntroduction Innovations in tobacco control interventions are required to ensure continued reductions in global tobacco use, and to minimise attributable morbidity and mortality. We therefore aimed to investigate the perceived effectiveness of current cigarette packaging warnings and the potential effectiveness of cigarettestick warnings across four countries. Methods An online survey was distributed to adult smokers in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Participants rated (using a 5-point Likert scale) and commented on the effectiveness of current cigarette packaging warnings and text warnings on eight cigarette sticks that prompted smokers to quit. Ratings were analysed using proportional odds logistic regression, and comments were analysed using content analysis. Results Participants (N=678, mean age=44.3 years) from all four countries perceived cigarette packaging warnings as being minimally effective in prompting smokers to quit, citing desensitisation and irrelevance of the warnings, with US participants particularly critical of the text-only warnings. Compared to packaging warnings, the cigarette-stick warnings describing the financial costs of smoking and the effect of smoking on others, were the highest rated in all four countries (OR=3.42, 95% CI: 2.75–4.25, p<0.001 and OR=2.85, 95% CI: 2.29–3.55, p<0.001, respectively) and cited as strong messages to reduce smoking. Half of the participants either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ to the use of cigarette-stick warnings. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that cigarette packaging warnings may experience a loss of effectiveness over time, eventually resulting in minimal impact on smoker behaviour. Health and non-health focused warnings and messages on individual cigarette sticks represent a novel and potentially effective method for reducing tobacco use. This would complement tobacco control interventions currently employed, resulting in public health benefits.http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Smoker-Perceptions-of-Health-Warnings-on-Cigarette-Packaging-and-Cigarette-Sticks,104753,0,2.htmlhealth behaviorhealthpromotionpublic healthtobacco control |
| spellingShingle | Aaron Drovandi Peta-Ann Teague Beverley Glass Bunmi Malau-Aduli Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country study Tobacco Induced Diseases health behavior health promotion public health tobacco control |
| title | Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette
packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country study |
| title_full | Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette
packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country study |
| title_fullStr | Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette
packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette
packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country study |
| title_short | Smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette
packaging and cigarette sticks: A four-country study |
| title_sort | smoker perceptions of health warnings on cigarette packaging and cigarette sticks a four country study |
| topic | health behavior health promotion public health tobacco control |
| url | http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Smoker-Perceptions-of-Health-Warnings-on-Cigarette-Packaging-and-Cigarette-Sticks,104753,0,2.html |
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