Baseline Surveys: The Health Effects of Tobacco and Health Warning Messages on Cigarette Packages (disponible en anglais seulement)

6.0 Existing Health Warning Messages

A. Recall and Reads per Day

An overwhelming majority of Canadians (90%) say they have seen health warning messages on cigarette packages. Smokers (98%) express almost unanimous recall.

An overwhelming number of youth (91%) say they have seen health warning messages on cigarette packages.

Fifteen percent of Canadian adults report that they look at or read health warning messages on cigarette packages several times a day and another ten percent do this about once a day. One-half (50%) look at or read these health warning messages less frequently, including 31 percent who say they do this less than once a week. One- quarter (24%) say they never look at or read these health warning messages.

Adult smokers are more likely than Canadian adults in general to say they look at or read health warning messages several times a day, and are less likely to say they never do this. However, adult smokers, aged 55 and older, are as likely as Canadian adults in general to say they never look at or read these health warning messages.

Sixteen percent of youth report that they look at or read health warning messages on cigarette packages several times a day and another 14 percent do this about once a day. Almost six in ten (56%) look at or read these health warning messages less frequently, including 25 percent who say they do this less than once a week. Thirteen percent say they never look at or read these health warning messages.

Older youth, especially those aged 17 to 18 years, and youth smokers are more likely than others to say they look at or read these health warning messages several times a day.

We prepared two additional calculations of the number of times per day that respondents report that they look at or read health warning messages by transforming the categories in Questions 18a and 21a into numbers and by using the numbers reported by those who say they read several times per day (reported in Questions 18b and 21b). For the category filess than once a week," we used a figure corresponding to fionce every six months." For the first calculation, we used the exact numbers reported in questions 18b and 21b, with a maximum of 25 (values over 25 were counted as 25). For the second calculation, we used the exact numbers in 18b and 21b with a maximum of 25, and removed from the analysis cases where the reported number of fireads per day exceeded the number of cigarettes per day that the respondent smoked. Using the first calculation, the number of fireads per day is 1.71 for the general population, 4.49 for adult smokers, .49 for adult non-smokers and
1.40 for youth. Using the second calculation, the number of fireads per day" is 1.57 for the general population,
4.06 for adult smokers, .49 for adult non-smokers and .62 for youth.

When asked, top-of-mind, what health warning messages on cigarette packages in Canada look like (without looking at a cigarette package), the largest proportions of Canadian adults say they are text/words/phrases (53%) and that they are black and white/black/white (47%). One in ten (9%) say they are at the top part of the package. Sixteen percent mention some other aspect and 15 percent offer no opinion.

Adult smokers, especially younger adults, are much more likely than adults in general to mention that the health warning messages on cigarette packages are black and white/black/white. Smokers are also more likely to offer an opinion.

When asked what health warning messages on cigarette packages in Canada look like (without looking at a cigarette package), majorities of youth say they are text/words/phrases (58%) and that they are black and white/black/white (55%). Just over one in ten (13%) say they are at the top part of the package. Twenty-three percent mention some other aspect. Thirteen percent offer no opinion.

Older youth, aged 17 to 18 years, youth smokers and potential smokers are more likely than others to mention that the health warning messages on cigarette packages are black and white/black/ white. Younger youth, aged 12 to 14 years, are more likely to offer no opinion.

When asked, top-of-mind, what specific health warning messages can they remember seeing on cigarette packages in Canada (without looking at a cigarette package), the largest proportion of Canadian adults mention "Smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby" (39%). Smaller numbers mention "Cigarettes cause cancer" (32%), "Smoking can kill you" (29%), "Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease" (21%), "Cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease" (14%), "Surgeon- general warns that smoking is dangerous to your health" (12%), "Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in non-smokers" (10%) and "Tobacco smoke can harm your children" (7%). Eleven percent mention some other health warning message. A total of sixteen percent say none (8%) or offer no opinion (8%).

Adult smokers, especially younger adults, are more likely than adults in general to recall specific health warning messages, such as "Smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby," "Smoking can kill you," "Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease," "Cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease," "Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in non-smokers" and "Tobacco smoke can harm your children."

When asked what specific health warning messages they can remember seeing on cigarette packages in Canada (without looking at a cigarette package), the largest proportion of youth mention fiSmoking during pregnancy can harm your babyfl (47%). Smaller numbers mention fiCigarettes cause cancerfl (36%), fiSmoking can kill youfl (29%), fiCigarettes cause fatal lung diseasefl (27%), fiTobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in non- smokersfl (14%), fiCigarettes cause strokes and heart diseasefl (12%) and fiTobacco smoke can harm your childrenfl (8%). Eighteen percent mention some other health warning message. A total of twelve percent say none (4%) or offer no opinion (8%).

Older youth, aged 15 to 18 years, and youth smokers are more likely than others to remember the messages fiSmoking during pregnancy can harm your baby,fl fiCigarettes cause fatal lung diseasefl and fiTobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in non-smokers.fl Potential smokers are more likely to recall the message fiSmoking during pregnancy can harm your baby.fl Older youth, aged 15 to 18 years, and potential smokers are more likely to recall the message fiCigarettes cause cancer.fl Older youth, aged 17 to 18 years, and potential smokers are more likely to recall the message fiCigarettes cause stroke and heart disease.fl Youth smokers are more likely than others to remember the message fiSmoking can kill you.fl

B. Impact of Existing Messages

Among adult smokers, only about two in ten say that health warning messages they have seen on cigarette packages have been very effective in getting them to smoke less around others over the past year than they used to (21%) and in informing them about the health effects of cigarette smoking (21%). About one in ten say that these health warning messages have been very effective in increasing their desire to quit smoking over the past year (13%), getting them to smoke less this year than last year (11%) and getting them to try to quit smoking within the past year (9%).

Among adult smokers, potential quitters are more likely than others to say that health warning messages they have seen on cigarette packages have been very effective in achieving all these outcomes, with the exception of informing them about the health effects of cigarette smoking.

Among youth smokers, three in ten say that health warning messages they have seen on cigarette packages have been very effective in informing them about the health effects of cigarette smoking (30%). About two in ten say that these health warning messages have been very effective in getting them to smoke less around others over the past year than they used to (18%) and getting them to smoke less this year than last year (16%). About one in ten say that these messages have been very effective in increasing their desire to quit smoking over the past year (14%) and getting them to try to quit smoking within the past year (13%).

C. Assessment of Messages

Majorities of Canadian adults strongly agree that health warning messages on cigarette packages are accurate (69%) and provide them with important information about the health effects of smoking cigarettes (62%).

Adult smokers are less likely than Canadian adults in general to strongly agree with these two assessments of health warning messages on cigarette packages. However, younger adult smokers are as likely to strongly agree.

Majorities of youth strongly agree that health warning messages on cigarette packages are accurate (66%) and provide them with important information about the health effects of smoking cigarettes (63%).