Will Plain Cigarette Packaging Keep Teenagers Away from Smoking?

February 17th, 2012 00:00

Anti-tobacco activists have strongly criticized tobacco companies and their attractive advertisements that lure teenagers into this addictive habit. Health advocates are prompting British government to prohibit appealing designs and branding on cigarette packages in order to keep youngsters away from smoking. The calls for action follow the publication of a research on December 29 by the British Heart Foundation that states that more than a quarter of teens rely mainly on the packaging for any health info about tobacco products and smoking.

The research, which examined all responses from more than 2,700 16 to 25 year smokers and non-smokers, demonstrated that ¾ of those who said that selling smoking products in plain packages without brands or logos would make it easier for people to quit. 16% stated that they would take into account the pack design when deciding which cigarettes to buy, and 12% stated they would choose the brand as they though it was “cool.” The research results showed that some teenagers start to light up because of lack of any knowledge about smoking.

By the end of this year Australia plans to implement a legislation that will prohibit attractive advertising from cigarette packages. Other European countries are examining the proposed law, while tobacco companies are not happy with this move. Three of the world’s biggest cigarette manufacturers - Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco are fighting against the Australian law. Will such uninteresting advertisements work in the US? Will this plain packaging make smoking seem less attractive? Several experts stated that they do not believe that teenagers will easily disregard packaging.

According to a study released by the Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, a professor at the Harvard Medical School, about one out of five parents who have little children are nor ready to respond to any interventions to quit smoking. These estimates are a little better than the one in six parents who stop smoking without any additional help. Parents are more likely to take their children to pediatricians, who can make use of the child’s vulnerability to tobacco smoke and help them quit. Also pediatricians can examine parents for smoking and decide how quitting has various health benefits for children, as smoking is associated with a great range of health problems in children as pneumonia, asthma, school absenteeism, dental decay, and even hearing loss. Could comprehension of the influence of smoking on others, especially children, be a significant factor to quit?