The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To examine the impact of Canadian cigarette health warning messages (HWMs) on public and consumer knowledge and behaviours, specifically among adult cigarette smokers from 2000 to 2005.

Methods: Since 2000, Canadian HWMs on tobacco packaging have been regularly monitored and evaluated through a series of ten nationally representative surveys of about 1000 respondents each, of both smokers and youth.

Directly comparable knowledge, attitudes and behaviour data on adult Smokers (aged 18+), including potential quitters, was extracted from Waves 1 through 10 for this study.

Results: After 4 and half years, the HWMs containing graphic images and hard-hitting evidence about the health effects of tobacco continued to be read and supported by adult smokers.

In 2005, a majority of adult smokers (81%) and potential quitters (86%) agreed that HWMs on Canadian cigarette packages provided them with important information about health effects of smoking. Among adult smokers, potential quitters were more likely than others to report that the HWMs appearing on cigarette packages have been very effective in influencing their smoking behaviour.

Between spring 2001 and summer 2005, adult smokers were more likely to recall specific images from the current HWMS, e.g., rotten teeth/diseased mouth (from 29% to 43%), pregnant women with cigarettes (from 12 % to 27%) and diseased heart (from 13% to 19%).