Hard men don't smoke!

Gory images of diseased brains and implications of male impotency have more impact on smokers than the textual warnings currently found on cigarette packets.

Professor Janet Hoek, Lisa Searle and Ninya Maubach from the Department of Marketing conducted a survey of 300 smokers and non-smokers between the ages of 18 and 23.

Participants were asked for their reaction to five images, including rotting teeth, a drooping cigarette and a cigarette with a fish-hook. They were also shown a “Smoking Kills” text-only warning.

Professor Hoek says both smokers and non-smokers has a significantly stronger reaction to the images compared to text, which suggests the Government’s proposal to introduce visual warnings on packs will assist in their programme to reduce tobacco consumption.

The fear-evoking medical images of the teeth and brains were rated more disturbing, more impacting and more credible than the constructed images of hooked and drooping cigarettes. Both smokers and non-smokers (social smokers) indicated the images were a stronger deterrent and a stronger incentive to quit, than the text warnings.

Approximately 25 to 30 percent of smokers said the medical images might prompt them to phone Quitline, the number for which accompanies the message, and almost a third said they might lead to a cut-back in consumption. However, Professor Hoek said this could be a short-term response to a shocking image and the impact of these pictures could lessen with time.

Professor Hoek says the drooping cigarette image evoked only a mild response from smokers, possibly because it related to a long-term problem - impotence - which might not be relevant to those surveyed.

The Health Ministry is currently analysing the effectiveness of different types of warnings, and New Zealand is part of a World Health Organisation team developing a framework for tobacco control.