better warnings, better choices articles 11 & 12

Better warnings,better choices

Articles 11 & 12

Article 11

• All Parties shall implement effective packaging and labelling measures within

3 years of entry into force

Objective of the Health Messages

To increase public awareness of the health hazards, and addictiveness of using tobacco products. And of secondhand smoking.

Do Health Warnings ‘Work’?

• Research from around the world shows an increase in motivation to quit, resulting in more people calling quit lines and expressing intentions to stop smoking.

• Warnings most effective for two groups of people: – Those thinking of starting;– Those who want to quit.

SA Health Warnings, 1980s

SA Health Warnings: 1996

A new generation of messages

• Seeing is believing.

• A picture tells a story better than a 1000 words.

Canada,2000

Brazil 2002

“When you smoke, you inhale arsenic and naphthalene also used against rats and cockroaches”

Australia,2006

India, 2007

EU, 2007

Venezuela, 2007

Sad fact

• The tobacco industry uses images of health to sell death.

• Public health uses images of death to sell health.

• The truth about tobacco is ugly.

Making warnings effective

• Use pictures

• Require warnings on all main faces of packaging and at the top.

• Require warnings to be as large as possible

• Use multiple warnings, and keep them refreshed

• Require warnings on ALL tobacco products

•

Constituents & Emissions

• Info on chemicals in tobacco must be stated.

• Need qualitative not quantitative info.

• Eg. “Cigar smoke contains benzene which causes cancer”.

• Should not imply one brand is less harmful than another brand,

Plain Packs

• Article 11 Guidelines recommend adoption of plain packs.

• Imagery associated with brand removed.

• Brand names allowed in standard font of set size.

International Co-operation

• In conjunction with Article 22.

• Countries should license use of pictures by other countries quickly, easily and without costs.

Article 12: Education, Communication,Training, &

Public Awareness

• To succesfully educate, increase awreness & train people on the health, social, economic & environmental consequences of tobacco production, consumption & exposure to tobacco smoke

Aims

• To ensure understanding:

– of tobacco control measures– harms of tobacco use & SHS exposure– Tactics of the tobacco industry.

Thank you

Summary

• The warnings are most effective when they are prominent, provide specific information, evoke an emotional response and are changed regularly.

• Pictures can be understood by everyone without having to read any text.

• Combining the warnings with information about where to get help makes smokers more confident about quitting.