Tobacco Companies Exploit Loopholes in Their Bans

Canadian experts from the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, have concluded in a new study published today, July 28th, that most tobacco companies have still failed to comply with official directives, and continue to display misleading information on their cigarette packs. The experts reveal that words such as “silver” or “smooth” can hint to consumers that certain brands are less harmful than others, which is entirely untrue, the experts say. Other companies incorporate lower numbers into their names, so as to make people think they have less harmful chemicals, while some display pictures of filters.

“Research has already shown that using words such as 'light,' 'mild' and 'low tar' on cigarette packaging misleads consumers into thinking that one brand carries a lower health risk than another and that's why those words have been outlawed in more than 50 countries, but there has been virtually no independent research on these other packaging tactics to support broader regulation,” UW Health Studies Professor David Hammond explains. He has also been the leader of the new study, published in the online issue of the Journal of Public Health.

“Our study found that commonly-used words not covered by the bans, as well as other packaging design elements such as color, the use of numbers and references to filters, were just as misleading, which means there's a loophole that needs to be closed,” the expert adds. The recent investigation was conducted on 603 adults, which were made to assess a number of visual elements on cigarette packs. The research has revealed that there are still some things about certain types of cigarette packs that make people think that they are less harmful, and the experts explain that this loophole needs to be made unavailable.

“An important function of tobacco marketing has been to reassure consumers about the product's risks and a central feature of the strategy has been to promote the perception that some cigarettes are less hazardous than others, so that health-concerned smokers are encouraged to switch brands rather than quit. We've seen research described in internal tobacco industry documents indicating that reference to filters and the use of lighter colors conveys that message successfully, but now we have independent confirmation, plus evidence on other words in widespread use,” Hammond concludes.