David Hammond about Health Warnings on Cigarette Packs

Rendez-vous 157, June 13, 2006
This is my first podcast interview in 2006 .

David Hammond is with the Department of Health Studies of the University of Waterloo in Ontario. He is the co-author of a research paper published in Tobacco Control Journal about the Effectiveness of cigarette warning labels in informing smokers about the risks of smoking.

LISTEN

All my aplogies for the hissing sound on my side     
It is due to a misplacement of my headset.
Thank you for your patience and understanding 
Visit the excellent site of  Physicians for a Smoke Free Canada to see the best warnings to date.

The key elements of an effective strategy are: the bigger the labels the better, pictures are most effective (especially "hard hitting ones" according to smokers), include supportive resources to help quit (like the quitline number, website and supportive comments), plan from the start a regular (once a year) change and upgrade of the warnings.

Keep lobbying the goverments because despite the obvious impact of such warnings and the fact they don't cost anything in public funds, many states remain very reluctant to join the countries that have already decided to implement effective warnings.

Keep lobbying the goverments because despite the obvious impact of such warnings and the fact they don't cost anything in public funds, many states remain very reluctant to join the countries that have already decided to implement effective warnings.