Getting Teens Involved in World No Tobacco Day
Pictorial Health Warnings use Shocking Images to Discourage Smoking
May 29, 2009
The theme of this year's World No Tobacco Day is “Tobacco Health Warnings.” The purpose of this theme is to raise awareness about how critical packaging information is in providing information about tobacco health risks. In particular, warnings that contain colorful, graphic pictures in addition to text information are the most effective at tobacco prevention. This type of prevention is likely to be highly effective with young people.
Tobacco Marketing Targets Teens
Tobacco companies spend millions each year on advertising their products, and much of that advertising is viewed by teenagers. In these marketing efforts, tobacco use is presented as sexy, cool, masculine, trendy, glamorous, and fun. The very real health risks are noticeably absent from this picture. Kids are exposed to these types of messages about tobacco use on a regular basis. Using pictorial warnings on tobacco packaging can be an effective way to help counter these images.
Pictorial Warnings on Tobacco Products
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control states that tobacco products must “carry health warnings describing the harmful effects of tobacco use” and “should appear on both the front and back of package, be large and clear and describe specific illnesses caused by tobacco.” The reality is, however, that warnings on tobacco products in the United States are usually limited to one small black and white strip of information that is barely noticeable unless the consumer is purposefully searching for it.
Twenty-three countries or jurisdictions currently require large pictorial warnings on their tobacco products. These are quite graphic in nature and designed to make an emotional impact. For example, warnings may depict premature infants (smoking is a leading risk factor in premature birth), or illustrate the physically damaging effects of smoking related diseases such as throat and lung cancer. The reaction of the viewer may encompass feelings such as sadness, pity, disgust, fear, worry, and anxiety. Any of these feelings may be enough to motivate a young person to either quit smoking or to avoid starting in the first place.
Pictorial Warnings Get Teens' Attention
These realistic pictures make a much stronger visual and emotional impact than mere words alone can. The shocking nature of these images is likely to appeal to teens, who may then share and discuss the pictures with their peers. Images that are perceived as “nasty” or “gross” by young people may be successful in discouraging tobacco use.
Effectiveness of Pictorial Warnings
Studies done in several countries looking at the effectiveness of pictorial warnings found fairly consistent results regarding three factors: increasing awareness of health risks, cutting down or quitting, and protecting others. For example, calls to a toll-free quit line in Brazil increased from about 2800 to over 24,000 over a six month period following the implementation of pictorial warnings on tobacco packaging. Currently, only about 10% of the world’s population lives where pictorial warnings are used. Expanding the use of this type of packaging to other countries is one of the goals of World No Tobacco Day.
Getting Involved in World No Tobacco Day
There are plenty of things youth workers can do to help raise awareness of the World No Tobacco Day message. Brochures, fliers, and posters highlighting the campaign are available through the World No Tobacco Day website. These can be displayed in public places and distributed to kids and parents. Kids may be interested in viewing an ad gallery of pictorial warnings. These would make a great springboard for a discussion on the health effects of tobacco use. Teens may want to respond by creating role plays, doing journal writings, or creating their own pictorial warnings.
Increasing the use of graphic, even disturbing, images on tobacco product warning labels can be an effective deterrent for teens. World No Tobacco Day is one way to raise awareness regarding this issue.
Source for statistics in this article: "Showing the Truth, Saving Lives: The Case for Pictorial Health Warnings", WHO, 2009.
