Simpler health warnings to increase smoker’s awareness

Health Canada is proposing substantial changes to current requirements for the labelling of tobacco products in an effort to reach more smokers, the federal department said yesterday.

While current health warnings, in place since 2000, are "working well," officials say they are not as effective at reaching adults with low literacy skills.

Officials found statements about the toxic emissions and constituents in tobacco products "confusing," and smokers often overlook the health information messages and tips about quitting.

The department proposes to create a series of health warnings using different approaches and messages tailored to particular needs, such as smokers with low literacy skills, potential quitters and hard-core smokers, that would be rotated every two years, told The Globe and Mail.

Health Canada also wants to move the health information message from the back panel of the slide-and-shell package to the upper slide flap, and replace the toxic emissions and constituents statement with a series of statements that focus on a single substance, also to be rotated every two years.

Among the new proposals:

- Health warnings would include some "mixed messaging" with both a health warning and a related benefit associated with quitting. - Health warnings would include messages about toxic emissions and constituents as well as the health effects of one constituent.

- New health information messages would be "clear, positive and action-oriented in nature," and would include other data of use to smokers, such as a quitting schedule.

Changes will be considered for the labelling of all tobacco products, informed The London Free Press.

Health Canada also wants to move the health information message from the back panel of the slide-and-shell package to the upper slide flap, and replace the current toxic emissions and constituents statement with a series of new statements that focus on a single substance, also to be rotated every two years.

Health warnings would include some "mixed messaging" with a health warning and a related benefit associated with quitting.

New messages would be "clear, positive and action-oriented in nature," reported The Winnipeg Sun.