In an effort to help curb the Brits appetite for cigarettes, the UK has unveiled a series of 15 disturbing images and slogans that will be printed on cigarette boxes starting in October 2008. By slapping on pictures of throat cancer and blackened lungs, the government hopes to send a stronger message to smokers beyond just the warning label. According to Health Secretary Alan Johnson, tobacco is the number one cause of death and illness in the UK, killing over 120,000 people this year, which works out to more than 13 people an hour!
UK officials are not the first to enlist such a heavy scare tactic. In 2001, Canada was the first country to use this approach, where more than 1/2 of smokers claim they now smoke less due to the images impact. Singapore began splashing horrific images across their cigarette packs in 2004 and have since reported 1/4 of smokers “felt inspired to quit”. Australia and Brazil have also seen similar results. Is the U.S next? Hopefully…
Here are some of the approved images. Some wonder if the pics are too “soft.” You tell me! Scary stuff…
To prevent cancer, quiting smoking is a must along with eating a nutritious diet full of antioxidants. Check out all the amazing whole foods that munch on free radicals.
Here are the rest of the approved pics…aahhh!!! Don’t get throat cancer…
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome, smoking is injurious to health , these photos have proven that.
I wouldn’t have been fooled by a GOOD photoshop, let alone this.
This has been done for years in Singapore. I don’t know how effective it is as there are still a lot of smokers there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tabhastal/1195908369/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tabhastal/1196696316/
The last one is definitely gross … fortunately I don’t smoke
Daniel that’s not photoshop. My neck looks just like that!
We have had Graphic-Packs in Canada for Years as well, and as has been said before, smoking rates have only dropped slightly.
“Smoke’em if Ya Gott’em!”
australia has had stuff like this for a long time along with many other support mechanisms for smokers to quit.
the numbers of smokers here has plummeted compared to europe etc
I think the only people that generally get deterred by those things are non-smokers to begin with. You learn to ignore them pretty quickly (and they’re certainly not what made me decide to quit, but that’s me).
Getting somebody to quit smoking means you’re trying to effect a lifestyle change, something most folks are loathe to do, and something that is almost impossible to get others to do if you’re a health care professional. I say let them smoke themselves to death and stop worrying about them, or get serious about stopping them by making nicotene illegal; not cigarettes, but nicotene. But for this habit-forming drug, people might not smoke, or it wouldn’t be that hard to quit. Either that or the government should legalize cocaine; they are both dangerously health threatening and a problem for society. If they are going to let the tobacco industry sell their product, why not let Columbia sell theirs!
ive never seen someone with a freakin neck like that, BS!
I used to be a smoker and can confess disturbing images only stayed in my mind for a short while or at least until I was drawing on another cig. I quit because my wife to be she would never marry a smoker! It wasn’t easy, but now I look back and wonder how I could have been so daft to smoke in the first place. I can’t stand it now and wish the government would see past all the money they are getting from the taxes and just make them illegal. Oh yeah thats right they would have to see past all the money they receive from taxes ! Silly me..
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