graphic warnings

Canada: look at the full proposed set of 16 exterior health warnings and the 8 interior messages

Thanks again to Rob Cunningham (Canadian Cancer Society) for all the details about the new graphic warnings, on the pack (75% of the front and the back) as well as inside the pack.

Canada: What size for the new graphic warnings?

The Conservative Government has reconsidered its initial decision of not installing a new set of graphic warnings but it is not clear yet what their content and size are going to be. They should be announced at the beginning of 2011.

See the NRSA release.

Graphic health warnings need to cover the entire surface of cigarette packages if they are to become more effective

Graphic health warnings need to cover almost the entire surface of cigarette packages if they are to become more effective in convincing smokers to kick the deadly habit, new Health Canada research found. (here the report in pdf format).
"Findings suggest that increasing the current size of warnings of cigarette packages is not very effective to negatively affect image of smokers or perception of cigarette product attributes, unless health warning messages occupy the entire front panel," the study states.

Source: Canwest News Service

What company would keep the same ads for 7 years?

That's why the graphic health warnings should change regularly (every six months like in Australia) and automatically, ie without having to return to the legislature or a complex regulatory process.
Canada made the first step when introducing graphic health warnings but missed out on the good way to keep them most effective. Not raised in the article is the option that the ads could also  use other  types of images and messages for instance lovertising :)

Source: Can News Service

Gar Mahood and Health Warnings

Gar Mahood speaks in Brussels about how the Canadian government was "convinced" to install big health warnings, eventually with pictures, on the cigarette packs. It took a lot of advocacy and lobbying.
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In Canada the first graphic warnings were introduced in 2000

The regulations about the graphic warnings were adopted in June 2000 with an implementation starting 180 days later. The warnings have to cover at least 50% of the main surfaces and be positioned at the top of the pack. The pictures can be seen on the site of Health Canada and in the Globalink Gallery. They are accompanied by a series of  16 inserts included within the pack. New warnings are now under development.

Geoffrey T. Fong: Designing Effective Warning Labels

Geoffrey T. Fong talks about What We Know About the Impact of Warning Labels: Review of Findings from the ITC Project and Recommendations for Designing Effective Warning Labels. LISTEN (16 min)

Louise Hassan about health warnings in the UK

Louise Hassan compares the UK warnings with Canada's graphic warnings.
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Rob Cunningham about the revolution of the new health warnings

Rob Cunningham is with the Canadian Cancer Society. He explains why each country should adopt asap the new health warnings on the packs. Instead of his picture he wished for one of those new "revolutionary" health warnings. He recommends the PAHO's site to look at good examples of the new warnings. LISTEN (7 min)

Rob also chronicled the Canadian Tobacco War in his book Smoke and Mirrors.

Rob also chronicled the Canadian Tobacco War in his book Smoke and Mirrors.

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.

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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.

New Graphic Health Warnings Tested in Canada

Graphic health warnings on cigarette packs are a very effective way to denormalize/deglamorize smoking and to incite/help smokers to quit. Canada is a leader in this domain and there is much to learn from this initiative.  The new pictures that are now tested  systematically include the quitline number and a website.
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The neuropsychology of graphic warnings

An unpublished neuromarketing study conducted at the Université de Montréal by neuropsychologist Maurice Ptito and Professor Jean-Charles Chebat at the HEC Montréal with the help of master’s student Shoshanna Campbell looked at how people react to the graphic warnings.