Why Health Warnings Printed on Cigarette Packs Actually Increase Cigarettes’ Consumption
Do you know that the health warnings on cigarette packs can actually increase smoking?
Health warnings on cigarette packs are getting more and more serious. As a nonsmoker, I find the pictures displayed on cigarette packs very repulsive. A few months ago, I saw some stores selling good-looking plastic covers that can be used to hide the horrible warning pictures on cigarette packs.
That’s not everything. The Tobacco industry is subject to very tough restrictions in most countries, and in many countries, Tobacco ads are prohibited. Despite all of these restrictions, obligations, and obstacles, a tiny percentage of smokers manage to quit.
When serious health warnings were first introduced, I thought that people would quit. Still, as those health warnings got very severe, it became evident that the desire to smoke can’t simply be reduced by displaying pictures of sick people or even dead ones.
Why do people smoke?
To resolve the mystery, we need to get back to the basics and think about the initial reasons that motivated some people to smoke. The first thing you need to understand is that each smoker smokes for different reasons, and thus we can’t say that all people smoke to get over stress or fight anxiety.
Some smokers smoke because they want to feel in control. This becomes evident when a person lights a cigarette as soon as he feels anxious, stressed, or helpless. Some smokers do it because they associated smoking with a certain social status. The teen who started to smoke to appear as a man will always unconsciously believe that smoking makes him more masculine until someone shows him the truth.
Now let’s stop here and try to find out how this teen would react if presented with a health warning? The health warning in such a case isn’t trying to persuade him to quit a habit, but it’s trying to persuade him to become less manly! This is why health warnings don’t work. Because unless you understand what a cigarette means to a person, you will never be able to motivate him to quit.
People usually forget about the main reason that motivated them to smoke and then stick to the habit without knowing why they are doing it. If a teen started to smoke to rebel against society or his parents, then most probably years later, he will forget about that reason but will still be unable to stop.
Now when that teen sees a health warning, his unconscious desire to rebel will motivate him to smoke more. In other words, if a health warning reaffirms someone’s psychological identity, then they will actually motivate him to smoke more.
A health warning that works
So how can people be motivated to quit smoking?
By simply pointing out that brave people don’t need an external substance to control stress or anxiety. By pointing out that people smoke when they feel helpless to get a feeling of being in control. By pointing out that emotionally unstable people need external substances to stabilize their moods.
Making it clear that courageous ones face their problems while cowards try to get involved inside activities to distract themselves. Showing that confident people feel comfortable around strangers and don’t need to smoke to calm themselves down. By telling them that strong people can face life problems without feeling week, overwhelmed, or in need of an external substance to help them survive.
Imagine a health warning that says, “You smoke because you are a coward. Brave people don’t smoke”.
This one will work better than one that says that smoking can cause death.
