Graphic health warnings on cigarette packages, such as those that depict rotting teeth, diseased mouths and throat cancer, are losing their impact as smokers become increasingly desensitized to them, according to the results of an international study. Canada, for instance, has been using the same set of 16 health warnings on cigarette packages since 2012, said Ron Cunningham, policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society. Drovandi said while adolescents and young adults tend to hold health warnings in higher regard, there is also research that suggests younger people feel such warnings are irrelevant. At least one country – Jamaica — utilizes such messaging on its cigarette packages. And whereas Canada requires that health warnings cover 75 per cent of the front and back of cigarette packages, other countries are more stringent.

Source: National Post May 23, 2019 20:10 UTC