Do Warning Health Labels Work Or Should They Change?
It has been known for decades now that cigarette smoking is very dangerous not only to the smoker, but to others around them, in the form of secondhand smoke.
Since the 1970′s it has been known that cigarette smoking has been linked to cancer and heart disease. It was during that time that the then surgeon general of the United States, C. Everett Koop, advocated the use of warning labels on cigarette packages.
This warning on the side panel of the cigarette packages, states that smoking cigarettes is dangerous to an unborn child, and can cause lung cancer and heart disease. Well, cigarette smoking in general has decreased overall in teenagers since the 1970′s yet youngsters are still picking up the horrible habit despite knowing the dangers. So, do the warnings work? Yes and no. Smoking is decreasing, yet it is still becoming a new habit among teens.
Would a stronger warning label on the cigarette package help? It’s doubtful. A large red sticker across the diagonally across the package stating “Smoking these will kill you!” will probably not be effective. The best defense is continuing education on its dangers, especially on the family, children and even pets of smokers.
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