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

8.0 New Health Warning Messages

A. Awareness and Recall

Six in ten Canadian adults (60%) say they have not seen, read or heard about new health warning messages that might appear on cigarette packages in the near future. Just under four in ten (36%) say they have and another four percent say they may have.

Adult smokers are slightly more likely than others to be aware of new health warning messages.

Seven in ten youth (69%) say they have not seen, read or heard about new health warning messages that might appear on cigarette packages in the near future. Three in ten (28%) say they have and three percent say they may have.

Older youth, aged 15 to 18 years, and youth smokers are more likely than others to be aware of new health warning messages.

Among Canadian adults who say they have or may have seen, read or heard about new health warning messages, most (63%) recall, top-of-mind, seeing or hearing about pictures. Smaller proportions recall that the messages cover more of the package or 50 percent of the package (17%), that there is more information than now or more information about the health effects of smoking (10%), and that they are tougher, stronger messages (9%). Eight percent recall something else and 11 percent offer no opinion.

Among those who say they have or may have seen, read or heard about new health warning messages, adult smokers, especially younger adults, are more likely to recall seeing or hearing about pictures.

Among youth who say they have or may have seen, read or heard about new health warning messages, most (73%) recall seeing or hearing about pictures. Smaller proportions recall that there is more information than now or more information about the health effects of smoking (12%), that they are tougher, stronger messages (10%), and that the messages cover more of the package or 50 percent of the package (8%). Eight percent recall something else and nine percent offer no opinion.

Girls, older youth, aged 15 to 18 years, youth smokers and potential smokers are more likely to recall seeing or hearing about pictures.

B: Support for Further Toxic Labelling

When respondents are informed that cigarette manufacturers are currently required to list three chemicals Πcarbon monoxide, tar and nicotine Πand their amounts on cigarette packages, a large majority of 72 percent of Canadian adults strongly support requiring cigarette manufacturers to add to the current list three other chemicals that are found in tobacco Πformaldehyde, benzene and hydrogen cyanide Πand their amounts on cigarette packages. Only eight percent overall are opposed to this idea.

Adult smokers are much less likely than Canadian adults in general to strongly support this idea, although those who are potential quitters are more likely than smokers in general to strongly support this idea.

When youth are informed that cigarette manufacturers are currently required to list three chemicals Πcarbon monoxide, tar and nicotine Πand their amounts on cigarette packages, a majority of 61 percent strongly support requiring cigarette manufacturers to add to the current list three other chemicals that are found in tobacco Πformaldehyde, benzene and hydrogen cyanide Πand their amounts on cigarette packages. Eighteen percent overall are opposed to this idea.

Older youth, aged 15 to 18 years, and potential smokers are more likely than others to strongly support this idea.