Which warning grabs your attention more: “cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide” or “smoking decreases fertility by killing sperm?”

Both warnings present factual information and are written in black print. The only difference is that the first warning is barely noticeable on the side panel of cigarette boxes, while the other covers three-fourths of the front cover in bold script. The second label caught my eye while I was in Istanbul, Turkey with my family.

This June, my family and I went to Turkey to celebrate the wedding ceremonies of close friends. While no one in my family smokes, I couldn’t help but see the larger, bolder cigarette warning labels on the empty cigarette packs that would litter the ground. After seeing these labels, I started thinking about our cigarette labels in America and took a closer look at them. It turns out that our warning labels have quite an ineffective history.

Beginning in 1965 with the Federal Cigarette Labeling Act, side panels of cigarettes sported “cigarette smoking is hazardous to your health.” Apparently, these warnings had little effect on public knowledge or attitudes, so the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) changed them in 1967.

Congress’ Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act changed them in 1969; and finally, Congress’ Comprehensive Smoking Education Act changed them in 1984 after another report from the FTC saying that cigarette labels still had no effect on public knowledge or attitudes regarding smoking. It’s been over 20 years since U.S. cigarette warning labels have changed.

Are we behind the times, or are our cigarette warnings so effective that they don’t need to be updated? A recent Canadian study shows America’s warning labels are the least effective compared to Canada, Australia and other countries.

While America’s warnings have remained black and white and stuck in the ‘80s, several other countries mandated stronger health warnings resulting in rotating cigarette package warnings with updated information, graphic color images and warnings covering nearly the whole pack – not just a side panel. Canada’s cigarette packs even come with quitting tips!

This study also found that the ingredients of successful cigarette warnings begin with a larger label size and graphic images. Referring back to my initial question, it’s more likely that the second label from Turkey, with the larger script discussing smoking’s effect on sperm, would be more effective and eye-catching to consumers then the retro U.S. label.

The Canadian study also noted that the bolder, colorful and more informative cigarette warning labels of Canada and Australia succeeded in: (1) better attracting smokers attention, (2) increasing their knowledge and awareness of smoking health hazards, (3) decreasing cigarette consumption, (4) motivating smokers who had tried to quit in the past to try quitting again, and (5) helped 21 percent of smokers to resist the temptation on more then one occasion to smoke, deciding not to after seeing the new health warnings. This study illustrates how much better U.S. cigarette warning labels could be. Now that the results are in, it’s time to make changes.

So what’s stopping America from jumping on the current and colorful bandwagon? Hopefully, we’ll see changes soon. Currently, there’s a bill pending in Congress’ Senate HELP Committee that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Included in this bill is an amendment requiring the government to enhance the size and color of cigarette warning labels to cover more than 50 percent of cigarette boxes. It would also allow the use of graphic pictures of cancer and other diseases related to cigarette use and would give the FDA power to restrict tobacco advertising, prevent cigarette sales to minors and order the removal of harmful ingredients from cigarettes. The Canadian study proves that larger, colorful and more informative labels are a great tool to use; with Wisconsin moving closer to becoming smoke-free, we must make every effort to educate citizens about the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke, and to support measures that encourage cessation.

If you’re interested in keeping abreast of the cigarette warning issue or you support a smoke-free Wisconsin and want to join the effort, you can start by joining UWM’s student group A.N.T.I., which stands for Against the Nicotine and Tobacco Industry; we can be found on Facebook and in Merrill G42. You can also contact SmokeFree Wisconsin at http://www.smokefreewi.org/.

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