20160217 - warnings

 

How graphic warnings on cigarette packets influence smokers' brains

Do graphic warning labels on cigarette packets really help smokers consider the health risks? Yes, according to the results of a new study, which found that such images prompt activity in areas of the brain associated with decision-making, emotion and memory.


Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US, responsible for killing more than 480,000 Americans every year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by two to four times and raises the risk of lung cancer by around 25 times.
Statistics like these emphasize the need for strategies to reduce smoking rates, and one such strategy has been the introduction of graphic warning labels (GWLs) to cigarette packaging.

 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306717.php