[Impact of cigarette package health warnings with pictures in Mexico: results from a survey of smokers in Guadalajara].
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the impact of the first pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) on cigarette packs in Mexico.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 1 765 adult smokers from Guadalajara, Mexico, 2010. Logistic regression models were estimated to determine the association between recall of having purchased a pack with a pictorial HWL and psychosocial variables indicating their impact.


RESULTS
58% reported having purchased a pack with one of the pictorial HWLs, and these were considered the exposed population. Exposed smokers reported a greater frequency of thinking about smoking-related risks (34 vs. 25% p=0.003), and thinking about quitting smoking (23 vs. 14% p=0.001). Exposure to pictorial HWLs was also associated with a greater acceptability of HWLs as a means of communicating with smokers (93 vs. 87% p<0.001), as was the perception that the government communicates well about tobacco-related health risks (68 vs. 55% p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Pictorial HWLs have made smokers think more about these risks and about quitting smoking. This policy should continue to be exploited as a cost-effective educational intervention.
Departamento de Investigaciones sobre Tabaco, Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
James F
JF
Thrasher
Rosaura
R
Pérez-Hernández
Edna
E
Arillo-Santillán
Inti
I
Barrientos-Gutiérrez
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011356:Product Labeling / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult