Effective Tobacco Warnings

The United States is years behind other countries in terms of their warning labels on tobacco products.  Warning labels in many other countries are large, and prominent on packaging and advertising, indicating the importance which health agencies put on these warnings.

Sweden:

 From here: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swedish_warning_label_on_tobacco_20040810_001.jpg 

Portugal:

From here: http://blog.tpronline.org/?p=13

Canada:

From here: http://blog.lsc.edu/signs/2007/07/26/tobacco-warning/

The 1984 Comprehensive Smoking Education Act requires rotation of the following four black and white text messages on the side of cigarette packages:

1. Surgeon General’s warning: Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy.
2. Quitting smoking now greatly reduces serious risks to your health.
3. Smoking by pregnant women may result in fetal injury, premature birth, and low birth weight.
4. Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide (3).

But how much more effective would these be?!

To learn more about the study that analyzed the above cigarette warning labels, visit Preventing Chronic Disease, a CDC publication.

To LIKE or not to LIKE

One of my professors sent me this very interesting article (http://mashable.com/2010/10/18/facebook-brands-likes-study/) that pertains to smoking and tobacco on Facebook.  It also speaks volumes about the degree to which social networks can influence all of us. 

People are most frequently "liking" brands on Facebook because of advertising they have seen or because a friend has suggested the brand - and that friend is serving as a secondary form of brand outreach.

Social media can certainly be used to influence youth to engage in unhealthy behaviors, but through campaigns like Smokeless Social Media, we can make a difference!

If you are interested in making a difference you can:
- Sign the Smokeless Social Media petition
- Sign the Global Link petition
- Join our Facebook page
- Like our Facebook page

We're not fighting alone

Fighting big tobacco companies and interests can be a daunting task.  And the more we delve into the issues surrounding tobacco advertising online, the more questions we come across.  But we have also come across more and more angles to tackle the problem and allies to help us.  Below are just two of the many organizations (and one petition!) that are on the same page as Smokeless Social Media.

Global Link 

http://www.globalink.org
(Check out their petition aimed at Facebook: http://www.globalink.org/petitions/facebook)

The Global Smokefree Partnership
http://www.globalsmokefreepartnership.org/

Who else do you know of that is fighting to protect minors from tobacco advertising?  What do you think is going well?  How could we improve?  Share you comments below!