Photo: Gerard O'BrienOtago researchers say standardised packaging for cigarettes is a good move, but more needs to be done in the fight against tobacco. Concerned by evidence from their earlier work which revealed young people rationalise warnings about long-term harms caused by smoking, Prof Hoek and her team developed and tested a range of new warnings. Profs Hoek and Gendall argued it was time to apply basic communications principles to on-pack warnings. On-pack warnings needed to have an effect on diverse groups of smokers, and be refreshed regularly so smokers are exposed to multiple reasons for quitting. “We are only seven years from the Smokefree 2025 goal so we need to make sure that the policies introduced achieve maximum impact over a sustained period,” Prof Hoek said.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 13, 2018 20:37 UTC