New research from Washington State University, published in the Journal of Business Ethics, finds that graphic anti-smoking warnings on cigarette packaging may produce an unintended consequence: rather than quitting, some smokers are instead drawn toward e-cigarettes. In the absence of similar warnings for e-cigarettes, consumers may get the impression that they are a safe alternative.
The study, conducted across four separate online experiments, found that smokers exposed to this disparity in health warnings shifted their attention and attitudes toward favorable views of vaping and demonstrated an intention to try e-cigarettes rather than quit smoking. In one study, however, when people were confronted with more balanced health warnings, they were less likely to have positive attitudes or intentions about vaping.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has adopted regulations requiring the use of 11 graphic images in addition to written warnings on cigarette packaging, but implementation has been held up in legal challenges. Warnings on e-cigarette packaging, by contrast, are brief verbal statements that nicotine is addictive.
The research also highlights a secondary concern beyond current smokers. While the messaging environment affects smokers, it also influences young people who may consider vaping without ever having entertained the idea of smoking. Lead researcher Elizabeth Howlett of WSU’s Carson College of Business concluded that policymakers should consider the messages being sent across the entire market, not just individual products: presenting warnings on both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes would make consumers more accurately informed of the actual risks of all tobacco use.
