The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs
Introduction China is the world’s largest tobacco-consuming nation. With minimal packaging regulations, the Chinese tobacco industry can use many appeals to promote their products, including calling upon traditions and culture to make positive connections between consumers and harmful products. We a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Publishing
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/The-problematic-use-of-cultural-symbols-on-Chinese-cigarette-packs,162301,0,2.html |
| _version_ | 1797786187979554816 |
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| author | Emily Xing Zheng Dai Alena Madar Kevin Welding Katherine Clegg Smith Joanna E. Cohen |
| author_facet | Emily Xing Zheng Dai Alena Madar Kevin Welding Katherine Clegg Smith Joanna E. Cohen |
| author_sort | Emily Xing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction
China is the world’s largest tobacco-consuming nation. With minimal
packaging regulations, the Chinese tobacco industry can use many appeals to
promote their products, including calling upon traditions and culture to make
positive connections between consumers and harmful products. We analyzed the
nature and extent of cultural appeals on Chinese cigarette packs.
Methods
A total of 610 unique cigarette packs were collected in 2017 from five
major Chinese cities (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Kunming, and Chengdu)
following a systematic protocol. Two trained independent coders knowledgeable
about Chinese culture and language coded the packs in accordance with a specially
developed codebook encompassing important Chinese cultural symbols. The
prevalence of identified elements was determined and interpreted.
Results
Overall, 60.7% (n=370) of the analyzed Chinese cigarette packs in our
sample contained at least one culturally specific appeal. The most common cultural
appeals included written arts (n=131; 21.5%), celebratory red as the primary pack
color (n=119; 19.5%), visual arts (n=70; 11.4%), and special occasions (n=60;
9.9%). There was a diverse range of cultural appeals present on the packs.
Conclusions
Cultural appeals are common on Chinese tobacco packaging, with over
60% of all analyzed packs containing at least one culturally specific element. With
China’s packaging policies requiring health warning labels to occupy only 35% of
the pack, the tobacco industry is allowed plenty of package space to incorporate
cultural elements among other appeals. A plain and standardized packaging policy
would eliminate the ability for Chinese tobacco companies to use cultural appeals
on their cigarette packs.
Tob. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:05:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e07568d75c694e82bb8c764fd5f02d62 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1617-9625 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:05:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | European Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-e07568d75c694e82bb8c764fd5f02d622023-07-06T07:46:44ZengEuropean PublishingTobacco Induced Diseases1617-96252023-05-0121May1710.18332/tid/162301162301The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packsEmily Xing0Zheng Dai1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1780-5193Alena Madar2Kevin Welding3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1833-6691Katherine Clegg Smith4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2140-1690Joanna E. Cohen5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3869-3637Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United StatesInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United StatesInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United StatesInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United StatesInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United StatesInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United StatesIntroduction China is the world’s largest tobacco-consuming nation. With minimal packaging regulations, the Chinese tobacco industry can use many appeals to promote their products, including calling upon traditions and culture to make positive connections between consumers and harmful products. We analyzed the nature and extent of cultural appeals on Chinese cigarette packs. Methods A total of 610 unique cigarette packs were collected in 2017 from five major Chinese cities (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Kunming, and Chengdu) following a systematic protocol. Two trained independent coders knowledgeable about Chinese culture and language coded the packs in accordance with a specially developed codebook encompassing important Chinese cultural symbols. The prevalence of identified elements was determined and interpreted. Results Overall, 60.7% (n=370) of the analyzed Chinese cigarette packs in our sample contained at least one culturally specific appeal. The most common cultural appeals included written arts (n=131; 21.5%), celebratory red as the primary pack color (n=119; 19.5%), visual arts (n=70; 11.4%), and special occasions (n=60; 9.9%). There was a diverse range of cultural appeals present on the packs. Conclusions Cultural appeals are common on Chinese tobacco packaging, with over 60% of all analyzed packs containing at least one culturally specific element. With China’s packaging policies requiring health warning labels to occupy only 35% of the pack, the tobacco industry is allowed plenty of package space to incorporate cultural elements among other appeals. A plain and standardized packaging policy would eliminate the ability for Chinese tobacco companies to use cultural appeals on their cigarette packs. Tob.http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/The-problematic-use-of-cultural-symbols-on-Chinese-cigarette-packs,162301,0,2.htmlchinacigarettessmokingmarketingpolicy |
| spellingShingle | Emily Xing Zheng Dai Alena Madar Kevin Welding Katherine Clegg Smith Joanna E. Cohen The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs Tobacco Induced Diseases china cigarettes smoking marketing policy |
| title | The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs |
| title_full | The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs |
| title_fullStr | The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs |
| title_short | The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs |
| title_sort | problematic use of cultural symbols on chinese cigarette packs |
| topic | china cigarettes smoking marketing policy |
| url | http://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/The-problematic-use-of-cultural-symbols-on-Chinese-cigarette-packs,162301,0,2.html |
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