Advertising graphic warnings

New research from Cornell University suggests graphic warning labels on cigarette advertisements have the same anti-smoking effect as similar warning labels on cigarette packs, according to a University story at news-medical.net.
The labels, which contain images such as bleeding, cancerous gums and lips, are said also to cancel out the effect of advertisements that prompt young people to think of smoking as cool, rebellious and fun.
“This study suggests the value of graphic warning labels extends beyond just getting people to have more negative feeling about smoking,” said lead author Jeff Niederdeppe, associate professor of communication, who wrote the paper with a team of Cornell-affiliated researchers. “It also seems to have the added benefit of reducing the influence of ‘social cue’ ads that entice young people to want to smoke in the first place.”
The paper, Using Graphic Warning Labels to Counter Effects of Social Cues and Brand Imagery in Cigarette Advertising, was published in Health Education Research.
Researchers studied the graphic warning labels’ effect on 451 adult smokers and 474 middle schoolers in rural and urban low-income communities in the Northeast.