a day ago
Rethink of quit smoking approach
Tips on how to stop smoking, alongside the usual images of cancer-ridden organs on cigarette packaging, may help New Zealand's remaining smokers to quit.
University of Otago Aspire Aotearoa Research Centre co-director Prof Janet Hoek said the graphic warning labels had played an important role in reducing smoking's appeal to young people, and helped reduce overall smoking rates.
However, those who continued to smoke may be doing it because they feel "alienated, judged, and disempowered".
A new University of Otago study shows the introduction of positive messages that complement the graphic warning labels could help smokers feel more confident about achieving the challenge.
"Adding positive messages and tips on quitting could complement the harsh depictions of smoking's harms shown in graphic images, reduce the negative judgement people who smoke feel, and foster the confidence and the resilience people need to quit for good," she said.
The researchers asked 27 roll-your-own smokers from Dunedin and Wellington, aged 18 and over, for their views on warning labels on tobacco packaging, and on adding positive messages like tips on how to quit.
Lead researcher and University of Otago Burden of Disease Epidemiology, Equity and Cost-Effectiveness Programme research manager Lani Teddy said study participants felt including positive information alongside graphic warnings would inspire hope, and give them more confidence to embark on a journey to quit smoking.
One participant said smokers needed to have hope in order to make the change.
"If you want to quit smoking and you don't have hope, you have no chance."
Another said positive messaging on cigarette packaging would contrast the confronting images of diseased body organs, used on tobacco packs to illustrate the harms of smoking.
They associated the images with a "constant battering" of "don't do this, don't do that".
While study participants did not expect positive messaging to galvanise smoking cessation, they believed "being a little bit gentler" with the messaging could increase the attention paid to information on tobacco packaging.
Ms Teddy said the positive labels reminded people of what they could gain by quitting, rather than leaving them with the shock aroused by the fear-inducing pictorial labels.
Canada and Australia have already made it mandatory for tobacco manufacturers to include package inserts, containing positive tips and advice on quitting smoking.
