Smoking Cessation: Plain Packaging Better in Reducing Misconceptions About 'Healthier' Tobacco Brands

Last year, there has been an estimated 40 million American adults who smoked cigarettes, about 16.8% of the adult population. Of this, 30.7 million people or 76.8% smoked daily, while 9.3 million or 23.2% smoked some days, the CDC reports. Smoking is prevalent among 18.8% of American men and 14.8% of American women and the age group in which smoking is most prevalent is the 25 to 44 age group with 20%, followed by the 45 to 64 age group with 18%. Smoking is prevalent among young adults aged 18 to 24 by 16.7%.

A new study published in the "Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health" shows that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were 12% less likely to believe certain tobacco brands were "healthier" than others, Eurekalert reports.

According to Medical Xpress, Australia implemented plain packaging of tobacco products back in December 2012 as part of their efforts to help decrease national smoking rates. Researchers found that plain packaging reduced overall misconceptions about "healthier" tobacco brands. They also discovered that participants aged 35 and below were 16.5% less likely to view some brands of cigarettes as more prestigious than other brands. The 18 to 29 age group of smokers reported that the plain packaging was less appealing.

Mirror reports that according to Dr. Raglan Maddox, a postdoctoral fellow at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, "We know that brand imagery and design elements influence perceptions of consumer risk and status. Colours, shapes and symbols on packaging contribute to beliefs that certain brands are more high-status while using words like mild, light or slim can give consumers the impression that some tobacco products are less harmful than others."

"These age-specific findings provide important insight for changing perceptions of status or prestige associated with tobacco brands in the younger indigenous population," Dr. Maddox explained. "Preventing uptake and eliminating tobacco use in this demographic is central to addressing the disproportionate burden of smoking-related death and disease while also improving overall health and life expectancy."

About 42% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were reported in 2013 to be tobacco users, a rate which is higher than the general population. This places them at a higher risk for tobacco-related illnesses such as heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and various forms of cancer, all of which are preventable if smoking cessation is done as early as possible.

According to Dr. Maddox, this study adds to existing literature on how plain packaging initiative is linked to increased thoughts of and attempts at smoking cessation, and more calls to cessation helplines. He said, "The findings...further support plain packaging and health warnings as an effective strategy in reducing global tobacco use."