The new EU cigarette health warnings benefit smokers who want to quit the habit: results from the Dutch Continuous Survey of Smoking Habits.
BACKGROUND
As of September 2004, all European Union countries are required to have new health warnings on cigarette packs. This study examined the self-perceived impact of these warnings on the attractiveness of cigarettes, smokers' motivation to quit and smoking behaviour.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study comprising 3937 Dutch adult smokers.


RESULTS
Of smokers, 14% became less inclined to purchase cigarettes because of the new warnings, 31.8% said they prefer to purchase a pack without the new warnings, 17.9% reported that warnings increased their motivated to quit and 10.3% said they smoked less. A strong dose-response relationship was observed between these effects and intention to quit.


CONCLUSIONS
The new warnings made cigarette packs less attractive, especially to smokers who already intended to stop smoking.
The Hague, The Netherlands. mwillemsen@stivoro.nl
Marc C
MC
Willemsen
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D011356:Product Labeling; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*