J Korean Acad Fam Med.  2007 Dec;28(12):923-930.

The Evaluation of Foreign Graphic Health Warning Labels on Smoking Cessation Effectiveness

• Kim DH
• Kim HS
• Suh YS
• Lee GH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Many countries have been legally prescribing graphic health warning labels on cigarette package as a part of their national policy of smoking cessation. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of graphic health warning labels of Canada, Singapore and European union, in Korean for smoking cessation.
METHODS
From February to July in 2005, we surveyed 110 people who were high school students and college students. After showing them the 64 graphic health warning labels (16 from Canada, 6 from Singapore and 42 from European union), the self recorded questionnaires were collected.
RESULTS
The effectiveness for smoking cessation was related to the arousal levels of visual effects and it had the same result for each country in which we researched. The high arousal loss-framed graphic health warning labels were more effective than the gain-framed low arousal ones.
CONCLUSION
To quit smoking, it can be reasonably concluded that high and negative images of health that were shown on warning labels of cigarette packages were effective. Hereafter, it is recommended more useful and proper designs of graphic warning labels be developed and applied.

Keyword

graphic health warning; smoking cessation; tobacco pack

MeSH Terms

Arousal
Canada
European Union
Humans
Singapore
Smoke*
Smoking Cessation*
Smoking*
Tobacco Products
Surveys and Questionnaires
Smoke