A new study by Western University, Canada, supports the notion that tobacco packaging which conveys to smokers that ‘others’ view smoking negatively is sufficient to trigger feelings of self-consciousness, which in turn reduces smoking intentions.
Tobacco package stimuli: neutral (left) and negative (right) social cues. Image credit: Jennifer Jeffrey & Matthew Thomson, doi: 10.1111/joca.12232.
“Smoking is an international health crisis,” said Western University researchers Jennifer Jeffrey and Matthew Thomson.
“Tobacco packaging is an important vehicle to convey antismoking messages, which to date have been predominantly limited to fear-based health appeals.”
“Using an experimental approach, we examine whether a novel alternative — using negative social cues on packaging — is effective at discouraging smoking.”
The study involved an online experiment with a panel of 156 American adult smokers, who were randomly assigned to view one of two tobacco packages, which included the same tagline — ‘this is how people look at smokers’ — but portrayed different images.
Specifically, packages featured black and white photographs of the same individuals either displaying neutral or disgusted expressions.
“Tobacco denormalization strategies such as workplace and social setting bans have used social pressure as a means of discouraging smoking,” Dr. Jeffrey said.
“Our study suggests that tobacco packaging itself may be another tool by which to exert similar pressure, especially in those smokers already sensitive to smoking stigma.”
The findings were published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
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Jennifer Jeffrey & Matthew Thomson. Integrating Negative Social Cues in Tobacco Packaging: A Novel Approach to Discouraging Smokers. Journal of Consumer Affairs, published online November 20, 2018; doi: 10.1111/joca.12232
