Warning Labels and Their Impact on the Consumer
Not even 50 years ago, many people felt skeptical about the hazards of cigarette smoking. Although increasing numbers of studies showed that some connection existed between tobacco and lung and heart ailments, questions still remained about the true effects on health. In 1964, however, the United States Surgeon General Luther Terry confronted 200 media reporters in a State Department auditorium for two hours and completely changed the course of history. For the first time, the American government made it official: Smoking causes lung cancer. How much of an impact did this warning and other warnings to come by the Surgeon General and additional interested parties in the future alter the numbers of people smoking nationwide? The results are not too promising. After the Surgeon General's first announcement, there was an immediate reaction. At this time, about 46 percent of people smoked in the U.S. When Americans heard the Surgeon General's words of warning, they decreased cigarette consumption by 20 percent. In addition, the number of individuals actually smoking fell as much as 30 percent. Research found that the vast majority of smokers believed their habit would harm their health. However, the reaction did not last long. The f
But will these large warning labels have a better impact than the smaller ones? ollowing year, more than 42 percent of adults were still smoking. This was despite the fact that the 1965 Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act required U.S. Surgeon General's warnings on all cigarette packs (Bowman). Camel offers this age group a peer group which feeds their need to belong. Congress twice strengthened the labeling requirement. First, in 1969, it stipulated "Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to your Health," a significant upgrade from the 1965 "may be hazardous" wording. Next, in 1984, Congress went further and required that four different warnings be rotated. Each warning would be preceded by the phrase "Surgeon General's Warning.": 1) 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; and 4) Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide" (Derthick,15). Smokers want to belong and feel that it is acceptable to smoke (Camel). Camel gives the smoker a lot of excitement and involvement at a time when they need to feel better about themselves. Maybe the scientists will find out that just seeing a small warning is not enough. People have to actually be confronted with something so large that they cannot deny it. Or, then again, given the stubbornness of humans and the fact that even billboards with warnings do not seem to have any great impact either, people will go on smoking regardless of what they see or read. Being rebellious and outspoken helps to keep criticism at bay. The findings of Romer and Jamieson are not any more positive. They looked at studies that researched how anticigarette advertising counteracts the favorable images of smoking pushed by the tobacco industry. They stated, "...even if anticigarette advertising increases perceived risk, the overwhelming influence of tobacco industry advertising and promotion acts to increase
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1420
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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