Pictorial warnings on cigarette packs

A US study of 200 smokers Washington - Agencies A US study of 200 smokers found that 83 percent were able to remember the health warning if it was accompanied by a graphic image. This compared with a 50 percent success rate when text-only warnings were viewed by the smokers. Using eye-tracking technology, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania measured how much time did the smokers spend viewing each part of a cigarette advertisement containing warning labels. After looking at the advertisement, each of the participants was asked to write down the warning to test how well they remembered the information. The faster a smoker’s eyes were drawn to the text in the graphic warning and the longer that they viewed the image, the more likely were they to remember the information correctly, the study said. Dr Andrew Strasser, lead author of the study and associate professor at the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said that the findings were important. “In addition to showing the value of adding a graphic warning label, this research also provides valuable insight into how the warning labels may be effective, which may serve to create more effective warning labels in the future,” said Strasser. Strasser said that he hoped graphic warning labels would help people become better informed about the risks of smoking and lead to a decision to stop smoking. The UK government is carrying out a consultation on packaging of cigarettes as a result of the research. The study has been published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine.