With smoking cessation a priority New Year’s resolution for many people, if implemented, the results of a new study may make it easier for people to quit smoking. Medical News Today writer Honor Whitemen posted a summation of the study:
Ohio State University postdoctoral researcher Abigail Evans and her colleagues argue “graphic images do not ‘browbeat’ consumers,” but rather evoke people to consider the risks of smoking. The study came on the heels of a U.S. federal appeals court’s decision to overturn a 2011 FDA ruling that requires color graphics on cigarette packages with negative connotations. Coauthor of the study, Ellen Peters, said, “What the court is missing is that without emotions, we can’t make decisions… We require having feelings about information we collect in order to feel motivated to act. These graphic warnings helped people to think more carefully about risks and to consider them more.” Hence, researchers concluded graphic warnings are more meaningful than text-only warnings. A formal proposal supporting the FDA’s support of graphic warnings has not been announced.