Discouraging Tobacco Use - Horrific Images on the Packaging..

December 6, 2007 - In an effort to help curb the Brits appetite for cigarettes, the UK has unveiled a series of 15 disturbing images and slogans that will be printed on cigarette boxes starting in October 2008. By slapping on pictures of throat cancer and blackened lungs, the government hopes to send a stronger message to smokers beyond just the warning label. According to Health Secretary Alan Johnson, tobacco is the number one cause of death and illness in the UK, killing over 120,000 people this year, which works out to more than 13 people an hour! UK officials are not the first to enlist such a heavy scare tactic. In 2001, Canada was the first country to use this approach, where more than 1/2 of smokers claim they now smoke less due to the images impact. Singapore began splashing horrific images across their cigarette packs in 2004 and have since reported 1/4 of smokers “felt inspired to quit”. Australia and Brazil have also seen similar results. UK To Print Horrific Images On Cigarette Packs The findings provide strong support for the effectiveness of prominent text warnings that meet the minimum international standards, the findings also suggest that larger pictorial warnings may have an even greater impact.(David Hammond, PhD, Do Cigarette Warning Labels Work? Results From Four Countries, February 6, 2007) Image courtesy of Thailand Health Promotion Institute; Click on image to enlarge.. Mild Seven is the second most popular cigarette in the world behind Marlboro. (TobaccoWatch.org)