Cigarette health warning labels are ineffective: study

New research published yesterday looks at the effectiveness of health warnings on cigarettes, with the study focused on the perceptions of Australian university students.

Unsurprisingly, the research found that cigarette packaging warnings that are currently in market are ineffective, with the warnings being disregarded by current smokers.

In addition, existing cigarette package warnings were seen as irrelevant by both smokers and non-smokers alike.

This is interesting.

The Health Department states that the graphics and warning statements “are intended to increase consumer knowledge of health effects relating to smoking, to encourage cessation and to discourage uptake or relapse”.

What this new research tells us, however, is that for those individuals who have grown up with the health warnings, they are largely redundant in terms of how effective they are.

With warning labels being in market for nearly 15 years now, given the low level of effectiveness for a new generation of potential smokers as this research has proven, the question is whether it’s time to try new smoking cessation options, such as vapes or e-cigarettes, given scientific evidence demonstrates they are nearly twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapy.