Graphic warnings help reduce smoking – US study

GRAPHIC warnings printed on cigarette packs about the dangerous effects of smoking have encouraged more smokers to reduce smoking or quit the habit altogether than text-only warnings, a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina has found.

The study, entitled “The impact of strengthening cigarette pack warnings: Systematic review of longitudinal observational studies,” was carried out by a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. The team was led by Dr. Seth Noar, who is also a professor at the UNC School of Media and Journalism. The National Cancer Institute and FDA Center for Tobacco Products funded the study, and it was published in this month’s edition of the journal Social Science & Medicine.