Fact Sheet: Tobacco Warning Labels

While many tobacco users generally know that tobacco use is harmful, studies show that most are unaware of the true risks, even in countries in which there has been a great deal of publicity about the health hazards of tobacco.1 As the World Bank has noted, "People's knowledge of the health risks of smoking appears to be partial at best especially in low- and middle-income countries where information about these hazards is limited."2 Smokers tend to be even less aware of the risks of tobacco smoke to others.3

Health warning labels, which should be placed on cigarette and other tobacco product packages as well as all marketing materials, help inform consumers of these dangers. Warning labels are an important component in a national health education program and cost government nothing.

Compelling reasons for implementing strong warning labels include:

  • Warning labels are inexpensive for countries to implement because the cost is borne by the companies and not by the government.
  • Warning labels detract from the glamour and appeal of cigarettes and help to create an environment where non-smoking is the norm.
  • Strong warning labels are essential to counter the attractive and persuasive images tobacco companies have used to market their products for decades.
  • Warning labels are unique among tobacco control initiatives because they are delivered at the time of smoking. Virtually all smokers are exposed to warning labels, and pack-a-day smokers are potentially exposed to the warnings over 7,000 times per year.4
  • Prominent health warnings and messages on tobacco product packages have been found to lead to an increased awareness of risks and an increased desire to quit,5 even among smoking youth.6 An international comparative study has shown that smokers in countries where a warning depicts a particular health hazard of smoking (e.g., impotence) are much more likely to know about that hazard.7
  • Governments worldwide are making tremendous progress in improving tobacco warning labels. The size of warnings is increasing and a growing number of countries require or will soon require picture-based warnings. As countries implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the World Health Organization's international tobacco control treaty, revolutionary improvements to package warnings are being implemented around the world.8

Implementing the Warning Label Provisions of the FCTC

Article 11 of the FCTC states that warning labels should cover at least 50 percent of the principal display areas of the package (i.e. both the front and back), but at a minimum must cover at least 30 percent of the principal display areas. It also requires that the messages be rotated and encourages the use of pictures and pictograms.

Countries should implement the largest package warnings possible in compliance with the requirements and recommendations of the FCTC. Thirteen countries now require that warnings occupy at least 50 percent of the cigarette package, with some requiring warnings that occupy as much as 60 percent of the total package space.

What Makes an Effective Warning Label

To be effective, package warnings must be noticeable, relevant and memorable. They
should also address the concerns of smokers and potential smokers alike.9 There is overwhelming evidence that warnings that contain pictorial as well as verbal elements, are larger, in color, and more comprehensive in content are most effective in communicating the health risks of smoking.10 Warning labels must be large enough to be easily noticed and read.

  • Type style and size also must be specified to avoid industry efforts to undermine the impact of the warning.
  • Messages should convey both the nature and magnitude of the risks, since studies show smokers underestimate most risks associated with tobacco use. Pictorial warnings are also necessary, particularly in countries with low literacy rates or where research shows smokers are ignoring standard warning labels.
  • Warning labels need to be rotated periodically to avoid overexposure. Sample text messages include:
    • CIGARETTES KILL
    • TOBACCO IS ADDICTIVE
    • SMOKING CAUSES HEART DISEASE
    • SMOKING CAUSES 85% OF ALL LUNG CANCER DEATHS
    • TOBACCO SMOKE CAN HARM THOSE AROUND YOU
    • QUITTING REDUCES YOUR CHANCE OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK
  • Warning labels should include information for smokers who want to quit about where to find help.
  • Warning labels should be applied to all tobacco products, not just cigarettes.11
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