Colourful packs colour judgment on smoking

Young people smoking for the first time are three or four times less likely to pick a plain pack than a colourful branded one.

Beyond Smoking Kills image That is one of the findings in a report from the University of Nottingham that could sound the death knell for trendy cigarette branding. The survey also found that that products bearing the word 'smooth' or using lighter coloured packaging were misleading young people into thinking that these products were somehow less harmful to their health.

Anti-smoking charity ASH publish the survey today in the report Beyond Smoking Kills. They say that although it has been illegal for manufacturers to use trademarks, text or any sign to suggest that one tobacco product is less harmful than another since 2003, this research shows that the 'smoke signals' are still getting through.

In a survey of over a thousand adult smokers and young people (both smokers and non-smokers) aged 11-17 years packs bearing the words 'smooth' and 'gold' were more likely to be seen as lower tar, lower health risk, easier to quit (adults) and better to try (young people). The addition of the word 'smooth' to two otherwise identical packs resulted in over ten times as many young people thinking that the cigarettes delivered less tar.

Plain packs less attractive

The use of lighter colours had a similar effect. But when participants were asked to compare plain versions of cigarette packs which had colours and stylistic features removed, leaving only the name of the brands printed against either a brown or white background, the packets appeared less attractive and participants were also far less likely to have any misconceptions about safety.

For example, when presented with plain versions of Mayfair King Size and Mayfair Smooth, participants were more likely to indicate that there were no differences between the risks of these brands — the correct answer according to ASH.

'These findings are compelling,' say ASH. 'The branding of cigarette packs profoundly affects consumer perceptions of the attractiveness and relative safety of the products. Remove this branding and the result is immediate: young people find cigarettes less attractive and smokers are less likely to be misled about the safety of the cigarettes they smoke.'

The Beyond Smoking Kills camapign, backed by the MHF, sets out a series of proposals designed to further reduce smoking and help the 70% of smokers who want to give up to do so.