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Graphic images 'don't deter young smokers' | Graphic images 'don't deter young smokers' |
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Picture warnings on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking make little impact on teenage smokers, a study suggests. | Picture warnings on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking make little impact on teenage smokers, a study suggests. |
The UK introduced the images, which depict things such as diseased lungs and heart surgery, in 2008. | The UK introduced the images, which depict things such as diseased lungs and heart surgery, in 2008. |
But the Stirling University study, which involved 2,800 children, found the images have had almost no effect on deterring 11 to 16-year-old smokers. | |
However, they did have an effect on non-smokers and experimental smokers. | |
The study - published by the Tobacco Control journal - looked at data from the Youth Tobacco Policy Survey before and after the introduction of the images. Before the introduction of the images only text warnings were used. | The study - published by the Tobacco Control journal - looked at data from the Youth Tobacco Policy Survey before and after the introduction of the images. Before the introduction of the images only text warnings were used. |
Of the 2,800 children who were questioned, one in 10 was a smoker, while the others were either non-smokers or children who had just experimented with smoking. | |
While the proportion of youngsters who thought the warnings were capable of putting them off increased after the introduction of the images among both non-smokers and experimenters, the number of smokers who were put off remained almost constant - it went up from 13% to only 14%. | While the proportion of youngsters who thought the warnings were capable of putting them off increased after the introduction of the images among both non-smokers and experimenters, the number of smokers who were put off remained almost constant - it went up from 13% to only 14%. |
Lead researcher Dr Crawford Moodie said that while it was disappointing that the images did not seem to have an impact on smokers, the rise in the numbers of non-smokers and experimenters being deterred was a "really positive" result. | Lead researcher Dr Crawford Moodie said that while it was disappointing that the images did not seem to have an impact on smokers, the rise in the numbers of non-smokers and experimenters being deterred was a "really positive" result. |
But he said there was also a risk of people becoming desensitised - the images and text warnings have not changed since they were introduced in 2003 and 2008 respectively. | But he said there was also a risk of people becoming desensitised - the images and text warnings have not changed since they were introduced in 2003 and 2008 respectively. |
"Other countries regularly change their warnings. I think if we rotated them here they would have more impact." | "Other countries regularly change their warnings. I think if we rotated them here they would have more impact." |