EU - planning a new study aimed at developing better graphic images..

April 7, 2009 - The European Commission is planning a new study aimed at developing better graphic images to warn of the damaging effects of tobacco, in a bid to encourage more European Union countries to put the pictures on cigarette packets.

Haravgi-Nina Papadoulaki, spokeswoman for the EC’s commissioner for health and consumer protection, Philippe Brunet, said that, although the commission developed a library of pictorial health warnings in 2005, only three European Union member states have started putting the images on cigarette packets: the United Kingdom, Belgium (Belgium was the first European Union member state to publish warning photos on cigarette packets), and Latvia.

The commission has already asked researchers to submit proposals for the new study, which would include developing a new library of colour photographs, images, and text warnings about the negative consequences for health of tobacco consumption, said Ms Papadoulaki. The images and texts are intended to encourage smokers to quit and to deter young people from starting to smoke

The European Commission is planning a new study aimed at developing better graphic images to warn of the damaging effects of tobacco, in a bid to encourage more European Union countries to put the pictures on cigarette packets.
To make the new combined warnings effective throughout Europe, they will be tested in all 27 member states among smokers, potential smokers, and former smokers, she said.

The Role of Pictorial Health Warnings in Europe's Tobacco Control Policy by
Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health, The Power of Communications Against Tobacco, Bibliothèque Solvay, Brussels, 31 January 2007..

Countries which have picture based cigarette health warnings from
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References: European Commission will look at which pictures work best to help smokers quit, blogsofbainbridge.typepad.com, 4/6/2009; European Commission will look at which pictures work best to help smokers quit, Ned Stafford, BMJ 2009;338:b1351, 4/1/2009.