Pictorial warnings on cigarette packs effective deterrent

Rasika Somarathna

Medical experts yesterday said, the worth of introducing picture-based warnings on cigarette packs in Sri Lanka could be measured in terms of lives saved in the future.

While noting that at least 55 people die daily in Sri Lanka due to smoking related health hazards,a Medical officer at National Cancer Hospital and the Chairman of Cancer Care Association Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa said that a majority of the above deaths could be averted through proper awareness about health harms of smoking.

As the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, a large picture-based health warning on tobacco packaging are more effective than text warnings alone in conveying to the smokers of its health hazards, he added.

Dr. Rajapaksa said that there was no room for thousand words on a cigarette pack, but the same effect can be achieved with a large single still image of a health warning.

"That's because pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages is better able to communicate the range and magnitude of harms from smoking. Studies world over has shown these help to deter smoking. The more large they are, the better the results,"said Dr. Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile the Head of national Cancer Control Programme, Dr. Neelamani Paranagama too welcomed the Health Ministry efforts to include pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs.

Dr. Paranagama said that warnings with imagery that illustrate the health risks of smoking are more effective than warnings with only text in increasing especially teens' and adults' understanding of smoking risks.

Citing their research Dr. Paranagama said that a majority of people get addicted to smoking while in their teens and pictures were an effective means to deter them from taking up smoking. In a recent study Dr. Paranagama pointed out that a Principal of a leading School in Nuwaraeliya had said that not only smoking but consuming tobacco based intoxicants were rampant among students. She also called the authorities to clamp down on the illegal sale of tobacco-based intoxicants.

In this regard, pictorial warnings on packs are an effective communication mode, not only as an awareness tool but also as an instrument in inducing fear among smokers and potential smokers about health hazards the practice can cause, she added.

Pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages are to be introduced in Sri Lanka shortly, according to a health ministry directive.

According to the Health Ministry tobacco consumption related health hazards are responsible for more than 20,000 deaths annually. According to World Health Organization tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the world. The WHO says that tobacco use kills a human every six seconds.