B2 – Upper Intermediate
Graphic warnings are used in order to grab the attention of consumers, forcing them to think about the risks involved in the products, and prompting them to consider their negative health consequences.
In cigarettes for example, highlighting the risks of smoking ought to make people think twice about consuming the product. However, is putting these graphic labels really effective?
Click the link below to read the article and be able to discuss the questions that follow:
https://www.rand.org/blog/2014/09/graphic-warning-labels-on-cigarettes-are-scary-but.html
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think about graphic warning labels?
- Does it decrease the product’s appeal in customers?
- Other than cigarettes, what products have graphic warning labels in your country?
- What do you think are the possible effects of these labels on businesses?
4 replies on “Graphic Warning on Cigarettes”
1. What do you think about graphic warning labels?
I think it’s important to use graphic warning labels to advice about the dangers of smoking but I believe smokers know these things already and, in some cases, they would have an opposite effect.
2. Does it decrease the product’s appeal in customers?
Based on the article, there’s little evidence for the effect of graphic warning labels on smoking initiation or cessation so the answer is far from clear.
3. Other than cigarettes, what products have graphic warning labels in your country?
As far as I know. In my country, only tobacco uses graphic warning labels. You can find another kind of advice, like “ the consumption of this product could be dangerous for health” but nothing else.
4. What do you think are the possible effects of these labels on businesses?
Marketing can influence in our product choices and it’s clear that, firstly, warning labels would have a negative impact in the tobacco industry. On the other hand, graphic warning labels might have the opposite effect, making smokers feel defensive or causing nonsmokers to become inattentive to anti-smoking messages.
These are very well-written responses. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this matter.
As for your correction, just take note on a better word order in this sentence:
Until your next entries!
I do not think that graphic warning labels on a tobacco package make people change their minds about a habit like this. The problem should be attacked from other points. Firstly, smoking is an addition and as such, it must be treated with medication or therapy. It does not have any sense that a person who needs to smoke because he/she feels anxious, just see the label and decide to quit it. The labelling can be useful for those who are not addicted yet. The images are so shocking that if a person feels also aversion to the diseases, then it will prevent them from starting to it.
Nowaydays, all the products on the market have some kind of identification or label widely known for everyone to make the life easier. For instance, the skimmed products are recognized by the colour pink, the semi-skimmed in green and if a product is toxic there will be a skull crossbones on the label. The first sight on a product is the symbols rather than wording. On the other hand, some products are written in other language different from your native one and it could be parts not understandble for everyone; this way the companies ensure themselves that the most important of the product is recognozible for all.
Your efforts in writing these comments regularly are duly recognized. Kindly take a look at how you can express this sentence better using more accurate words:
On the other hand, some products are written in other language different from your native one and it could be parts not understandble for everyone;
> On the other hand, some product labels are written in other languages and some parts are not understandable for everyone.
Keep at it!