Evaluating the impact of Picture Health Warnings on Cigarette Packets
About this study
On the 1st October 2008 picture health warnings were introduced onto cigarette packets in the UK.
Our study shows that although support for and awareness of the picture warnings is high, the impact of these pictures on actual smoking behaviour is modest.
You can read the full report here. Another topline finding from the study is that people had a strong emotional response to the pictures:
picture warnings are more likely to prompt smokers to think about their smoking behaviour
young people aged 13-17 agreed that the pictures made smoking seem less attractive or that they 'put me off smoking'.
Adult smokers were more likely to think about quitting after the pictures were introduced.
Potential policy impact
More research needs to be done to see if people's emotional responses to picture health warnings translate into future behavioural change. Similiar pictures have had greater impact in Australia and Canada, and although this may be due to differences in evaluation techniques, the UK Government could consider following their example and placing larger pictures on the front of cigarette packets.
Methods
Prior to the introduction of picture health warnings we collected baseline data about people's knowledge of smoking health risks, smoking behaviour and awareness of text health warnings. Once the pictures had been introduced we conducted a second wave of interviews to find out how people's attitudes and behaviour had changed. All participants were sampled from the Health Survey for England.
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Of interest:
- NatCen Social Research
- 35 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0AX
- Charity no. 1091768
