The UK’s 10 million smokers should brace themselves from 1st October, when the UK will be the first country in the EU to introduce graphic picture warnings on all tobacco products. The warnings illustrate the devastating effects that tobacco can have on health.

The new warnings, which include pictures of rotting teeth and lungs, throat cancer, and a ’flaccid cigarette’, will replace the written warnings currently featured on packs, which were introduced in January 2003.

The Department of Health says that the written warnings have already been a big success – their figures reveal that since their introduction 5 years ago, more than 90,000 smokers have been motivated by the warnings to call the NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169).

However, despite the progress over the past ten years, which has resulted in 1.9 million fewer smokers since 19982, smoking is still the biggest killer in England and causes the premature death of over 87,000 people every single year in England alone.

The visual wake-up calls are expected to be even more effective than written warnings. Research suggests that warnings should be changed periodically to maintain effectiveness, and smokers are more likely to remember the damage they are doing to their health if they have seen a picture.

’This will help to maintain the momentum of the increasing number of people who have given up smoking following England going smoke free in 2007,” said Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson.

’These new stark picture warnings emphasise the harsh health realities of continuing to smoke. I hope they will make many more think hard about giving up, and get the help they need to stop smoking for good.’

Michael Shepherd, aged 38 from Rickmansworth, was diagnosed with throat cancer two years ago. He hopes that the new warnings will make other smokers realise that the risks are real and, unlike him, stop smoking before it’s too late.

’Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I felt I was invincible,” said Shepherd.

“I was a big strong bloke working at a trade I loved, I had a huge circle of friends and money to spend. Now I’m on invalidity benefits, and live on state handouts. I hate it and would do anything to get back into work. All this has happened to me because of smoking. I never realised you could get cancer so young. The doctors saved my life, but what I’ve got now is a hard struggle. I will keep on and I will fight to get better, if only for my daughter’s sake.’

Canada was the first country to introduce graphic warnings, in 2001. One year later, research found that they had significantly impacted the country’s smokers; 31 per cent of ex-smokers reported that picture warnings had motivated them to quit, and 27 per cent reported they had helped them to stay smokefree.

Graphic warnings are also now used on tobacco products sold in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Venezuela, Thailand and Uruguay.

Picture warnings will begin appearing on cigarette packs from 1st October. For other tobacco products, they will start appearing from 1st October 2010. By 1st October 2009, all cigarette packs sold in the UK must feature the warnings. This is to allow enough time for introducing the new warnings and sell-through of existing stock.

Tobacco Picture Warnings

The following list of warnings will be used in rotation:
1. Smokers die younger
2. Smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes
3. Smoking causes fatal lung cancer
4. Smoking is highly addictive, don’t start
5. Stopping smoking reduces the risk of fatal heart and lung diseases
6. Smoking can cause a slow and painful death
7. Smoking causes ageing of the skin
8. Smoking can damage the sperm and decreases fertility
9. Smoking may reduce the blood flow and cause impotence
10. Smoking contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide
11. Smoking when pregnant harms your baby
12. Protect children, don’t make them breathe your smoke
13. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you stop smoking
14. Get help to stop smoking
15. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you stop smoking (alternative for retail travel sector)

The British Heart Foundation welcomed the move.

“We believe the graphic picture warnings on cigarette packets will provide a further incentive for smokers to think again before reaching for their cigarette packets,” said Maura Gillespie, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the BHF.

“There is evidence that they can help more smokers quit and prevent others from starting in the first place. We also believe that cigarette packets should be free of any attractive branding. We call on the Government to introduce plain packaging which would make these images stand out more and warn smokers about the health damage that tobacco causes.”

Deborah Arnott, Director of the health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), agrees, calling on the Government to require the removal of pack branding to maximise the impact of the the images.

“One obvious disadvantage of the current EU law is that the picture warnings will only be printed on the reverse side of cigarette packs, and thus will be less visible than if they were on the front,” said Arnott.

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