Tobacco health warnings and smoking-related cognitions and behaviours

Abstract

AIMS: To explore whether the introduction onto cigarette packs of new larger, more prominent health warnings in black on white would lead to an increase in: noticing warnings, thoughts about the effects of smoking, and consequent behaviours of not smoking a planned cigarette and/or prematurely stubbing out one already lit. In addition evidence was sought linking these effect to smoking cessation. DESIGN: Two national cross-sectional surveys of broadly representative samples of smokers: one about 2 weeks before the mandated introduction date of the warnings, and a follow-up 6 months later, part-way through implementation. A longitudinal subsample of smokers from the initial baseline survey wa..