Cognitive processing and assessment of anti-smoking combined warning labels proposed by the European Commission: an empirical study with a Spanish sample

Abstract

Smoking is a major public health problem in the European Union. The presentation of health warnings on cigarette packets is a common strategy for alerting consumers to the adverse effects of smoking. The main aim of this study was to assess the level of emotional activation and the potential utility of the new combined warning labels (both text and photo) that the European Commission has proposed for use on cigarette packets. By means of a Likert-type scale, 106 participants assessed the emotional activation each image caused in them, as well as its usefulness for an anti-smoking campaign. Results showed that the combined warnings could be arranged according to their emotional activation level and their usefulness. Further analyses showed that the scores given to some warnings were strongly influenced by the presence/absence of the corresponding text message, the smoking habit (smokers vs. non-smokers), and participant's gender. Finally, a positive relationship was found between emotional activation and utility. By and large, our research has some significant implications for the development of tobacco control policies.