GRAPHIC HEALTH WARNINGS ON TOBACCO PACKAGING INSPIRE SMOKERS TO QUIT THE HABIT

            About three in five (57%) smokers were concerned about the health effects of smoking and almost half (47%) said that they smoked fewer cigarettes or smoked less frequently after seeing the graphic warnings introduced on cigarette packaging in August 2004.  This is according to a survey conducted by the Health Promotion Board on about 1300 smokers and non-smokers aged 18-69 years, between November and December 2004.

2          The health warnings included graphic warnings of a family, a pre-matured baby, diseased organs, a bed-ridden man undergoing treatment in hospital and accompanying warnings such as “Smoking harms your family”, “Tobacco smoke can kill babies”, “Smoking causes stroke”, “Smoking causes lung cancer”.

Findings Among Smokers
3          These warnings were shown to be effective in reinforcing health messages among smokers.  Among the smokers surveyed, 71% commented that they knew more about the health effects of smoking as a result of the health warning labels.  A quarter of the smokers reported that they were motivated by the health warning labels to quit smoking. 

4          The warnings also helped to kick-start the quitting process among smokers. When asked about the impact of the labels on their smoking behaviour, 28% of the smokers surveyed smoked fewer cigarettes because of the warnings.14% of the smokers surveyed also said that they made it a point to avoid smoking in front of children, 12% said that they avoided smoking in front of pregnant women and 8% said that they smoked less at home.

5          HPB’s QuitLine (1800-438 2000) saw a three-fold increase in the number of callers seeking quit advice, when the labels were introduced. Even more encouraging,  21% of the smokers surveyed also tried to abstain from smoking after reading the health warning labels. 

Findings Among Non-Smokers
6          Among the non-smokers surveyed, about 46% reported that they had advised smokers to quit smoking as a result of seeing the health warning labels. Among these non-smokers, about 17% had advised their husbands to quit smoking. 

International Comparisons of Impact of Graphic Health Warnings on Tobacco Packaging
7          These findings are comparable to the findings of the impact of similar picture health warnings on tobacco packaging which was successfully introduced in Canada in 2001.  The Canadian experience found that 28% of interviewed smokers said the picture warnings made them think more about the health effects of smoking and 44% of the smokers surveyed said that the warnings increased their motivation to quit smoking. 

General Background Information of the Graphic Health Warnings in Singapore
8         The introduction of the graphic health warnings in Singapore was based on World Health Organisation recommendation and the successful experiences abroad. 

9          In August 2003, the Smoking (Control of Advertisements & Sale of Tobacco) (Labelling) Regulations was amended to incorporate the following changes to health warnings on packaging of tobacco products.The amendments came into effect on 1 August 2004.

i) The size of the health warnings on tobacco packaging increased from an area covering 20% to 50% of the principle surfaces;
ii) Graphics and the QuitLine number (1800-438 2000) were included in the health warnings.