New EU pictorial health warnings to be used on tobacco products
The EU commission has published in December 2014 a library of the new pictorial health warnings to be used on tobacco products. You will see those new health warnings on tobacco products in all EU countries from 2016-17 onwards.
You can consult the library at:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2014.360.01.0022.01.ENG
Qualitative research in the UK has shown that images tended to be effective where they conveyed shock, immediacy and empathy. Smokers tended to always favour 'shock' images that were disturbing or unpleasant to look up. Research in Belgium provided similar results. The new EU pictorial health warnings are more shocking than the previous set of pictures and should therefore be more effective.
Luk Joossens
ECL Tobacco Control Officer
