Graphic health warnings on cigarette packs may inadvertently encourage e-cigarette use, according to a new study.
A research team at Washington State University recently published the findings in the Journal of Business Ethics, the school said on Oct. 31 local time.
The researchers designed four experiments to analyze how graphic warning labels on cigarette packs influence consumers' perception of smoking risks.
Participants were shown either standard cigarette packs or packs featuring graphic warnings depicting lung damage and disease, and changes in their risk perception of e-cigarettes as well as their purchase and use intentions were measured. In a separate experiment, the team compared a condition in which strong warning images were applied only to conventional cigarettes with one in which equivalent warnings were applied to e-cigarettes as well.
The analysis showed that participants exposed to graphic warnings developed heightened fear toward conventional cigarettes, while tending to view e-cigarettes as a relatively less harmful alternative. In some cases, favorable attitudes toward e-cigarettes and intentions to purchase or try them translated into actual use.
When warning images were applied only to conventional cigarettes and not to e-cigarettes, the perception that e-cigarettes are safe became more pronounced. Adding similar warning images to e-cigarettes mitigated this contrast effect.
"E-cigarettes are just as harmful to health as conventional cigarettes," co-author Professor Elizabeth Howlett said. "Warning labels need to be placed on both products so that consumers can properly recognize the actual risks of tobacco use." She also noted that smoking causes about 500,000 deaths annually in the United States.
In South Korea, warning labels on cigarette packs are also a legal requirement. Under Article 9-2 of the National Health Promotion Act and Article 16 of its Enforcement Decree, warning images and text must cover at least 50% of the front and back of cigarette packs, and the content must be replaced every 24 months.
The fifth set of warning images and text is currently in effect, applied from Dec. 23 last year through Dec. 22, 2026. In this fifth round, the number of warning image themes for e-cigarettes was expanded from one each for heat-not-burn and liquid types to two each.
