The Effects of Graphic Health Warnings on Cigarette Box: A Comparative Study Among Male and Female Young Smokers

The Effects of Graphic Health Warnings on Cigarette Box:

A Comparative Study Among Male and Female Young Smokers

Abstract

The increase in smoking prevalence among young people is in a worrying trend. The graphic warnings on cigarette box have emerged as a vital means of conveying the information about the health risks caused by smoking that contributing to the altering of smoking behaviour among young adults. This study examined the gender differences of young smokers in responses towards the effects of graphic health warnings on cigarette box. The Protection Motivation Theory was employed as the theoretical framework that claims positive linear relationships between fear and persuasion. The questionnaires were distributed to the young smokers aged between 19 and 24 from the Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, Malaysia with a total of 100 respondents. The results revealed that the more threatening picture is as well the most effective picture to use for smoking prevention. Significantly, both gender differed in their first time smoking age, average number of cigarettes smoked per day and self-efficacy on the ability to quit smoking. However, no significant gender differences were observed on their perception towards the effects of graphic health warnings on them. Most importantly, the main possible reason to cause young smokers to quit smoking is the price increase on cigarettes.

Keywords: smokers, gender, graphic warnings, fear appeals, Protection Motivation Theory

Introduction

        Tobacco consumption has been identified by the World Health Organization (2009) as the foremost preventable cause of premature mortality and morbidity worldwide, kills up to half of those who smoke in excess of 5 million deaths globally each year. It is expected to cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030 if current smoking patterns remain unchanged (Institute for Public Health 2011). Looking more specifically at the case of Malaysia, according to the newest statistical data of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Malaysia in 2011, tobacco use accounts for a massive 35% of in-hospital deaths with three out of the country’s five leading killers accounting for a large share of these deaths (cancer, heart disease, stroke). Specifically, in 2011, 39.9% of Malaysian men and 0.7% of Malaysian women were daily smokers who smoked an average of 14 cigarettes per day. Approximately 10,000 Malaysians die from smoking-related diseases every year (Institute for Public Health 2011).

        Nowadays, smoking prevalence increases rapidly with age, with the majority of people started smoking during their early adult years (Raihan & Azmawati, 2013). On a world scale, over 1.2 billion people have become daily smokers at the age of 15 (Miller, Foubert, Reardon & Vida 2007). There are various aspects of tobacco control strategies have been implemented to diminish the use of tobacco among young smokers. Despite health hazards of smoking are known widely, only few numbers of smokers are fully aware of the harmful effects which leads to initiation and continuation of tobacco use (Chopra, Rao, Gupta & Vashisth 2014). Communicating the health risks of cigarette remains a main goal of tobacco control strategy. Health warning messages on cigarette packets have emerged as a vital means of conveying the information about the health hazards of tobacco consumption to the consumers (Hammond 2011). According to Canadian Cancer Society (2014), cigarette packet is an effective tool to communicate health information due to its high frequent exposure. A cigarette box is potentially reach up to 20 times per day, 7300 times per year for a-pack-a-day smokers.