The New Intimacy

what effect will graphic warnings on cigarette packs have?

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Contributor: BluePixi BluePixi
This June the FDA is going to unveil the new pictorial warnings that will be on US cigarette packs next year. Has everyone heard about this? do you think it will work the way the FDA intends or will the new warnings be ignored completely?

I don't believe it is going to discourage many people who already smoke, the largest impact I would expect will be fewer people starting in their teen years, and possibly an increase in the sale of cigarette cases.

I have been thinking about this since I saw the discussion and poll about where smoking should be allowed by DeliciousSurprise.
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
Of course it is going to work just as the FDA wishes, smokers will quit and no new smokers will pick up a pack.
Smokers are not going to quit because of some ugly pictures on their pack.
70
Some Smokers will quit because of the new warnings.
15
Fewer people will start smoking because of the warnings.
13
Plenty people will pick up smoking despite the warnings.
30
It isn't going to effect anything because smokers and people who want to smoke already know what they are getting into
21
Sales for cigarette cases are going to increase so smokers don't have to carry the ugly new packs everywhere.
8
I hadn't heard of this or havn't given it much thought.
10
BluePixi left something out, I am going to leave a post to explain.
1
Total votes: 168 (85 voters)
Poll is closed
02/04/2011
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Contributor: Xavier7 Xavier7
Great post, and good points!
02/04/2011
Contributor: newlady newlady
I'm in Canada, and we've had this on our packaging for years. No, I don't think it makes or made a difference at all. Now there is legislation passed that deems all cigarette sellers must have the cigarettes all hidden, so now when you go in places the cigs are all behind doors or cupboards; tobacco shops have to have the windows completely covered over as well. Again, don't think this is a deterrent of much.
02/04/2011
Contributor: PussyGalore PussyGalore
I've heard some people collect the packs. I don't think it will deter anyone. But, hey if they want to give a boost to the printing industry more power to them!
02/04/2011
Contributor: BluePixi BluePixi
Quote:
Originally posted by newlady
I'm in Canada, and we've had this on our packaging for years. No, I don't think it makes or made a difference at all. Now there is legislation passed that deems all cigarette sellers must have the cigarettes all hidden, so now when you go ... more
The news articles never went into how it was working in countries that had already implemented graphic warnings so I kind of figured the numbers were not impressive.
02/04/2011
Contributor: Kim! Kim!
I'll be tempted to buy them BECAUSE of this.
02/04/2011
Contributor: fghjkl fghjkl
Quote:
Originally posted by newlady
I'm in Canada, and we've had this on our packaging for years. No, I don't think it makes or made a difference at all. Now there is legislation passed that deems all cigarette sellers must have the cigarettes all hidden, so now when you go ... more
This is pretty much what I was going to say. I'm in Canada, have been smoling for years, and could not give a shit what pictures they put on the packs... I'm still gonna smoke. Although, when they hand me the pack with the gnarly looking teeth and gum disease, I ask for a different one.
02/04/2011
Contributor: Crash Crash
People who already do not smoke, and will never smoke, will think that smoking and smokers are even worse.
02/04/2011
Contributor: danellejohns danellejohns
I am a smoker and I will admit that the first thing I will do is get a case so I don't have to look at the thing. I mean really, I am not going to quit just because of a picture. This is the same mentality of back when they said "Camel Joe" caused kids to smoke. They got rid of that but kids and adults are still smoking.

I wonder how they can honestly think this will work. They tax the hell out of smokers and then restrict us from smoking in places (even our own cars in some places)-why don't they just leave it be. I wonder what we are breathing in with all these cars and businesses running. Should we be going after them as well?
02/04/2011
Contributor: BluePixi BluePixi
Quote:
Originally posted by danellejohns
I am a smoker and I will admit that the first thing I will do is get a case so I don't have to look at the thing. I mean really, I am not going to quit just because of a picture. This is the same mentality of back when they said "Camel ... more
Have you heard of the Environmental Protection Agency?
Cars and businesses are already regulated for emissions with more stringent regulations being pushed right now. The EPA is also responsible for the clean water act which regulates waste water from businesses and sets limits for pollution in surface water.
The Food and Drug Administration shares responsibility for regulations of pesticides and other toxic substances used by farmers or marketed to the public.

aaaaand I just realized I don't know where you are. Most, if not all, developed countries have similar regulatory administrations and agencies so it should hold true wherever you are.
02/04/2011
Contributor: potstickers potstickers
Quote:
Originally posted by Crash
People who already do not smoke, and will never smoke, will think that smoking and smokers are even worse.
Sadly, I think this is gonna be the only effect.
02/04/2011
Contributor: Gallowraven Gallowraven
no one is going to stop smoking because of pictures on their cigarette packs. some people may choose not to start because of some ugly pictures. but I doubt it is going to make that much of an impact at all.
02/04/2011
Contributor: Yoda Yoda
The pictures will have some effect. There will always be people that will continue to smoke, no matter what. And there will always be people that will, at some point, maybe when their drunk one night, look at that label and think "shit, what am I doing to myself."
02/05/2011
Contributor: buzz buzz
I hadn't heard of this before. I sell them where I work and I think it will make me hate getting them for customers ever more. As far as preventing people from smoking, I'm not quite sure because they don't really see the pictures until they bought them. And if they bought them, they are going to smoke them. And if they smoke them, they will get addicted and after a while probably find a way to get rid of the pictures. Maybe cases will have an increase in sales
02/05/2011
Contributor: danellejohns danellejohns
Quote:
Originally posted by BluePixi
Have you heard of the Environmental Protection Agency?
Cars and businesses are already regulated for emissions with more stringent regulations being pushed right now. The EPA is also responsible for the clean water act which regulates waste water ... more
With all do respect, yes I have heard and know quite a bit about it. I have worked closely with FDA and know many that work within the agency. I will leave it at you would be horrified at what is and is not allowed just in the food processing alone. Let alone anything else.

There is such thing as regulations and responsibilities but most companies are not going to tell the public how things really are, they only tell the public what they want to hear.

You can regulate emissions from cars but that I fully believe that cars and businesses are causing way more damage than the smokers of the world. All I was saying is putting pictures on the packs of cigarettes is going to be a failure in the results they expect. I would like to know why do they not take it a step further and take the campaign onto the businesses. Even with all the regulations and expectations in the world it does not make them harmless.
02/05/2011
Contributor: markeagleone markeagleone
Quote:
Originally posted by BluePixi
Have you heard of the Environmental Protection Agency?
Cars and businesses are already regulated for emissions with more stringent regulations being pushed right now. The EPA is also responsible for the clean water act which regulates waste water ... more
Are you honestly saying that you don't question if our government even has a chance to do what they say? Do you realize that in the cereal you eat,there's enough bug parts to make complete little creatures? I worked with refrigerants many times in my life. Do you realize the ozone scare came from Dupont when thier patent was running out? Now they have a replacement that, guess what, it also damages ozone, but they have the new patent.

I'm not sure if you realize that people have smoked for years, infact, the longest living man smoked more than three packs a day. For all their pollution devices on cars, if I stuck my face in the tailpipe, I would be as dead as the birds in Arkansas.

The other point is if the FDA did a good job, why is there so many drug and food recalls and lawsuits. I believe more people today are getting sick and getting cancers due to the fact that our foods today are full of chemicals and packaged with chemicals and our government says thats ok.
02/05/2011
Contributor: markeagleone markeagleone
Quote:
Originally posted by BluePixi
This June the FDA is going to unveil the new pictorial warnings that will be on US cigarette packs next year. Has everyone heard about this? do you think it will work the way the FDA intends or will the new warnings be ignored completely?

I ... more
I don't believe that it will do anything, but raise taxes and the cost. Like I said, freedom is gone. They don't put wierd pictures on cars that kill millions in accidents. I haven't seen pictures built into guns. I haven't seen them on beer cans or bottles. I have yet to find a legitimate reason to say smoking causes cancer. The oldest man on the planet smoked three packs a day.Also, people who haven't smoked or been around smoking have gotten all the cancers that smoking is said to cause. On the other hand, if I walked into a nuclear reactor, I would get cancer and so would you. We can all agree on that because noone is exempt. Alot of people who smoke live to a ripe old age. How??? I believe if you are going to get it, you will get it. It's in all of us.
02/05/2011
Contributor: BadassFatass BadassFatass
It's an addiction. Something like a graphic picture isn't going to curb an addiction. It's that simple.
02/05/2011
Contributor: IndependentlyHappy IndependentlyHappy
Probably none. People have been warned about the dangers for years and haven't stopped, so I don't see why putting some ugly picture on a pack will change anyone's mind - people will do what they want to do regardless.
02/05/2011
Contributor: vegan.guy vegan.guy
I don't know if this will work or not, but I am very excited that they are doing this. It's probably not going to make anyone quit smoking, since smokers already realize they're killing themselves, but hopefully it will make potential new smokers think twice.
02/05/2011
Contributor: liilii080 liilii080
Everyone will make their own choices but if the pictures convince even one person to quit for better health then I don't think it can be a bad thing.
02/05/2011
Contributor: BluePixi BluePixi
Quote:
Originally posted by danellejohns
With all do respect, yes I have heard and know quite a bit about it. I have worked closely with FDA and know many that work within the agency. I will leave it at you would be horrified at what is and is not allowed just in the food processing alone. ... more
fair enough, but I don't see that they are penalizing smokers any more strongly than they are businesses for pollution.
As has already been pointed out in this thread the USA is behind many developed nations to implement this type of warning just as we are behind in reducing CO2 emissions. I didn't mean to imply they were doing a fantastic job just that smokers are not alone in receiving attention.

I agree that the picture warnings are not going to convince anyone to quit, and I would speculate that the warnings are more about public relations than reducing the number of smokers.
02/05/2011
Contributor: toxie m toxie m
Quote:
Originally posted by newlady
I'm in Canada, and we've had this on our packaging for years. No, I don't think it makes or made a difference at all. Now there is legislation passed that deems all cigarette sellers must have the cigarettes all hidden, so now when you go ... more
As a Canadian non-smoker who on the rare occasion buys a pack of smokes (a pack lasts me 6+ months) and isn't all that familiar with brands and types of cigarettes, I found the hiding-them-in-cupboar ds thing to be somewhat of a deterrent. I go in and don't really know what kind I want or like and can't even look them over to choose one and pretend I know what I'm doing, and I end up feeling very silly. I suppose if one was more determined and did a bit more research beforehand they could easily get around this, but as a casual browser I've been slowed by the hiding of the packages.
02/05/2011
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
See: Denis Leary "No Cure for Cancer"
02/09/2011
Contributor: UnknownGirl UnknownGirl
Canada has had this for years. I'd be interested to know what impact, if any, these warnings have had in the Great White North. God how I loved Players when I use to smoke.
02/09/2011
Contributor: BadgersRose BadgersRose
We've had these here for years. It doesn't make any real impact. If you are addicted you'll smoke... ugly, disturbing pics or not. They already drive it into kids heads in school that smoking is bad and causes cancer and it's widely known how bad smoking is so if people still want to smoke... the last straw to make them give up isn't going to be a picture on the package.
03/31/2011
Contributor: Jobthingy Jobthingy
Up here we have had them for years. At first they were a little gross and people would just cover them with tape, decorative pack covers, etc..

I really do not even notice they are there TBH.
04/13/2011
Contributor: Misfit Momma Misfit Momma
Nope. Hasn't made a difference here in Canada and probably won't make a difference anywhere else either.
04/13/2011
Contributor: Kat Shanahan Kat Shanahan
People who want to quit don't need graphic pictures to do it. And people who aren't ready to quit aren't going to be convinced by graphic pictures.

My father started smoking when he was 14 years old. Back then (that was in the 60s) no one knew how bad smoking was. By the time all the information came out, he was already well hooked. He tried several times over the years to quit, but always went back to it.

In 2007, he was diagnosed with COPD and sleep apnea. He was given a very simple choice by his doctors: quit smoking or die.

He quit. It will be four years for him on May 22 (my birthday.)

But the sad part is that the damage is done. And he knows that the conditions he suffers with now are "his fault", that he brought it on himself. And it makes him angry to see young people start smoking now, especially when the information is out there.

So no, I don't think that graphic pictures on cigarette packs are going to do it. Honestly, I think that smokers who are trying to quit should have to spend a week with someone who smoked for years and now suffers daily because of it, someone whose life expectancy is diminished because of smoking.

Sorry...this is a bit of a hot-button sore spot for me. I am the primary caretaker for my father and I know what it's like to live with someone who, at the drop of a hat, might have to be rushed to the emergency room with an oxygen level of 40% (it's happened three times in the past year with my dad.) I don't think graphic warnings are going to do a damn thing; I think education and real-life exposure to the physical effects of smoking will work much better.
04/13/2011
Contributor: hornypoet69 hornypoet69
It seems just the next thing in the long list of smoker demonization tactics, that has been happening in this country for decades now. Smokers put their pleasure above their health, and people do that all the time. Like when they have sex, for example. Life is a series of risk analysis. Smokers smoke, because they like smoking, and because they think it worth the risk.
04/14/2011