We have all noticed the increase in size of those nag warning on cig packets. In some countries these warnings are just a set of words which says smoking is 'bad' for your health (although by NO means as bad as drinking alcohol; which kills twice as many people per year than smoking cigs and opiates combined). In other countries, there is extremist photos printed on packets. One photo shows a man with a massive lump on his throat (which happens to perhaps 1 in 10,000 smokers). Another shows black and rotten teeth; which is actually a problem for the dentistry department, and how much a person consumes junk food over brushing their teeth twice a day; while smoking doesnt even stain the teeth yellow as much as drinking coffee. Lastly there is often a photo of a bendy cigarette with words like "smoking makes you impotent". Speaking as a man who was formerly diagnosed as being impotent, the reasons given by the doctor included stress, bad diet, not enough sunlight, too much alcohol - but funny he didnt mention smoking. In fact I only started smoking some years after my diagnosis (I was 27 when I started smoking) and I found it actually HELPED! I am no longer impotent. If anything, smoking made me important.
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NO! In fact any psychology student will tell you that putting warnings on anything is counter-productive. Smokers ignore words on packets like they dont exist. A smoker is blind to them, except perhaps an occasional glance at a photo and ignoring it. Non smokers dont care or notice warning on packets until they buy them and have the cigs in hand. While they are on the shelf, a person wont see notices, as the reason they are standing there in the first place is often to buy cigs. With the huge range of products and manufacturers on offer in most cig shops and outlets (and usually a queue of people waiting), this means a person has no time to read or observe things as they order their products and then leave. This becomes insane when you consider the powers that be have come up with the idea of hiding cigs under the counter - to be ordered on demand. This means the warning on packets wont be seen until the person aready has the packet home and unwrapped - which is like putting the cart before the horse - after the horse has already bolted.
But back to my point. The only people who notice Smoking Warnings are those who want to start. Some will be put off by the words and pictures, but the vast majority; according to the laws of Equal and Opposite Reaction; will see those warning as a challenge, and this makes the cigs seem wild and attractive and dangerous. To kids and teens, something which appears cut off from them in terms of availability then becomes a 'right of passage' and a 'must try'. The more they print 'cigs are dangerous!!', the more seductive they become.
Kids rebel; and they will often do the opposite of what mum and dad say they must or must not do. When parents smoked, the child may rebel and never smoke. But now there are parents giving up because its 'bad', they say to their kids 'never let me catch you smoking', and its like a red rag to a bull.
I noticed in Leeds (UK) they ran a trial where they would let middle school kids smoke during breaks. They would smoke anyway, so the experiment was to try to see if the pupils would smoke together and become easier to manage the situation. Interestingly, as smokers came out of the closet and no longer smoked in back alleys and dark corners, suddenly smoking lost some of its exclusive appeal. Certainly the best way to make sure kids dont smoke would be to include formal practical eduction in schools; and anything promoted as part of the school curriculum is instantly 'sad' and 'square'. But instead, smoking and smokers are harassed and hindered; and this only makes them stronger and want to smoke more.
Vaporiser adverts now show sexy ladies blowing smoke on the sides of busses and huge billboards. If this 'anti-smoking' campaign working to prevent smoking. Of course not. These ads actually bring cigs back into public focus and consciousness not seen since they banned smoking advertising in the later 1970's, early 1980's.
Health Warnings, Good or Bad? Quite simply, they are strong adverts for non smokers and irrelevant for the rest.
catena
Full Member
Posts: 60
Post by catena on Feb 14, 2015 15:13:09 GMT
I also think it's pointless. It also makes the packs uglier, and I don't like that.
Post by Dan on Feb 15, 2015 13:07:51 GMT
Yes much uglier, thats the whole bottom line. There is also the laughable case where a person was so young or dumb that they cannot 'read' the message anyway. For example, there are a lot of technical words on some packets, which contain long letter words for medical conditions. Looking at those long words from a distance over the counter is impossible, and only possible to understand close up if the person has half a notion about medical terms. The rest say 'smoking kills'. Imagine someone reading this as they walk across the street and BAM! hit by a car. Sorry pal, Smoking kills! I have been assured that smoking affects only 10% of health. The rest is lifestyle and diet. And it affects each individual, individually. Some people seem unaffected by it as long as they live (See Bette Davis).
Heike
Friend
Posts: 16
Post by Heike on Jun 13, 2018 19:19:58 GMT
The warnings are redundant. We all know the risks. And we accept them.