Summary: When smokers handled individual cigarettes printed with health warnings, many found the products unappealing and depressing. Smokers surveyed suggested that printing messages directly on cigarettes would extend the reach of health warnings and might discourage smoking, particularly among young people and those considering starting.
Source: University of Stirling
Health warnings printed on individual cigarettes could help reduce smoking, new University of Stirling research suggests.
Researchers from Stirling’s Institute of Social Marketing studied smokers’ reactions to the warning “Smoking kills” when printed on individual cigarettes rather than only on packaging. The study explored whether moving health messages from the pack to the cigarette stick could change perceptions and behaviour during the act of smoking itself.
The research team, led by Dr. Crawford Moodie, found that participants believed warnings on each cigarette would prolong and reinforce the health message. Because the warning would be visible when a cigarette is removed from a pack, lit, left in an ashtray, or drawn on, it would make it harder for smokers to avoid the message and could increase opportunities for reflection and behaviour change.
Participants also noted the social visibility of such warnings. Seeing the message on a cigarette was perceived by some as off-putting because it contributed to a negative image. In several female groups, warnings printed on cigarettes were described as depressing, worrying and frightening; some respondents said they would not feel good smoking sticks that openly displayed a warning.
The idea of printing warnings on individual cigarettes is referenced in the Scottish Government’s tobacco-control action plan, “Raising Scotland’s Tobacco-free Generation”, which proposes changes to the appearance and composition of sticks and the inclusion of warning messages. The Canadian Government has also consulted on similar proposals and published consultation findings earlier in the year.
The Stirling study collected views from 120 smokers, aged 16 and over, using 20 focus groups held in Edinburgh and Glasgow in 2015. Groups were segmented by age, gender and social grade. In every group, participants felt that warnings on cigarette sticks could influence themselves or others; many thought the warnings would be particularly off-putting for young people, non-smokers and those thinking of starting to smoke.
Some younger participants suggested that seeing warnings on sticks could lead to behaviours such as stubbing cigarettes out early, cutting down consumption, or even quitting. Overall, the consensus among groups was that printed warnings could discourage initiation and reduce the appeal of cigarettes in certain populations.
“The consensus was that individual cigarettes emblazoned with warnings would be off-putting for young people, those starting to smoke, and non-smokers,” Dr. Moodie said. “This study suggests that the introduction of such warnings could affect the decision-making of these groups. It shows that this approach is a viable policy option and one that would—for the first time—extend health messaging to the actual consumption experience.”
The research was funded by Cancer Research UK and was carried out by Dr. Crawford Moodie, Dr. Rachel O’Donnell, Joy Fleming, Dr. Richard Purves and Jennifer McKell from the Institute of Social Marketing at the University of Stirling, with Fiona Dobbie from the Usher Institute of Population Health at the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK’s prevention expert, commented: “Too many young people are still taking up smoking. Government anti-smoking campaigns and tax increases on cigarettes remain among the most effective measures to prevent initiation, but we must keep exploring innovative ways to deter young people from starting. Making the cigarette itself unappealing could be one such approach.”
Source:
University of Stirling
Media Contacts:
Greg Christison – University of Stirling
Image Source:
The image is credited to University of Stirling.
Original Research: Open access
“Extending health messaging to the consumption experience: A focus group study exploring smokers’ perceptions of health warnings on cigarettes”. Crawford Moodie, Rachel O’Donnell, Joy Fleming, Richard Purves, Jennifer McKell & Fiona Dobbie. Addiction Research and Theory. doi: 10.1080/16066359.2019.1653861
Abstract
Extending health messaging to the consumption experience: A focus group study exploring smokers’ perceptions of health warnings on cigarettes
Introduction: While many countries require health warnings on cigarette packs, the Scottish and Canadian governments have considered requiring warnings on cigarette sticks themselves.
Methods: Twenty focus groups were conducted in Glasgow and Edinburgh with smokers (n = 120), segmented by age (16–17, 18–24, 25–35, 36–50, >50), gender and social grade, to explore responses to cigarettes displaying the warning “Smoking kills” on the cigarette paper.
Results: Participants believed that a warning on each cigarette would extend the reach of health messaging because it is visible as the stick is removed, lit, left in an ashtray and drawn on, making avoidant behaviour harder. Visibility to others was also viewed as off-putting and potentially embarrassing, particularly among some female groups who described such warnings as depressing, worrying and frightening. Across all groups, respondents cited potential impacts on themselves or others, including stubbing out cigarettes early, reducing use or quitting. The consensus was that warnings on sticks would be especially off-putting for young people, non-smokers and those starting to smoke.
Conclusions: Adding a health warning to each cigarette is a feasible policy option that would, for the first time, bring health messaging into the act of consumption.