Graphic Canadian cigarette warning labels and adverse outcomes: evidence from Canadian smokers.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the impact of graphic Canadian cigarette warning labels.


METHODS
We used a longitudinal telephone survey of 616 adult smokers.


RESULTS
Approximately one fifth of participants reported smoking less as a result of the labels; only 1% reported smoking more. Although participants reported negative emotional responses to the warnings including fear (44%) and disgust (58%), smokers who reported greater negative emotion were more likely to have quit, attempted to quit, or reduced their smoking 3 months later. Participants who attempted to avoid the warnings (30%) were no less likely to think about the warnings or engage in cessation behavior at follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Policymakers should not be reluctant to introduce vivid or graphic warnings for fear of adverse outcomes.
Hammond
David
D
Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada. dhammond@uwaterloo.ca
Fong
Geoffrey T
GT
McDonald
Paul W
PW
Brown
K Stephen
KS
Cameron
Roy
R
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001296:Audiovisual Aids / Q000592:standards*; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009341:Negativism; D009864:Ontario; D011356:Product Labeling / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014026:Nicotiana