Don people become indifferent to the pictures over time, or just cover or hide the pictures?
• Countries that have introduced picture-based warnings on tobacco packages have seen a rapid, dramatic increase in the awareness of tobacco health risks and the likelihood of quitting. • It’s possible people may become indifferent to particular pictures over time. That’s why it’s so important to change the warnings from time to time. • Although tobacco users can cover or hide the pictures, studies show that few do and that such avoidance does not decrease the warnings’ effectiveness in motivating behavioural change among smokers (such as quitting) and may actually increase it. • Tobacco companies meticulously study their target users and finesse their package designs to make them as tempting as possible. Tobacco-free campaigns should try to counter these schemes. Using a variety of warnings, and changing them regularly, makes the messages more relevant to a variety of audiences and helps prevent them from becoming stale.
