Graphic Cigarette Labels Can Influence Smokers Who Know Less
About Health Cigarette labels that display graphic images of the
consequences of smoking have a greater impact on smokers who are
less educated about health issues, compared with text-only
labels, a new study suggests. The researchers from the
University of South Carolina wanted to focus on less educated
smokers, because previous studies found people in lower
socioeconomic groups with lower education levels are among the
heaviest smokers, and have the highest rates of tobacco-related
disease. They recruited almost 1,000 adult smokers, and asked
them about their education, smoking habits and salary level.
Participants were asked to interpret a nutrition label, in order
to assess their health literacy. They were then divided into two
groups. One group was shown four text-only cigarette warnings,
which are currently used on cigarette packs. The other group was
shown nine cigarette packs that displayed text and pictures
showing the negative consequences