Starting this past month, Germany will be joining other EU countries like the UK and France in putting graphic warnings on cigarette labels in a move to deter consumers.
A study by the Federal Statistics Office in 2013 found that 24.5% of Germans over the age of 15 smoke. The drug commissioner estimates that around 110,000 people each year die of smoking-related illnesses.
The slogan isn’t quite enough
Until recently, cigarette packs in Germany had the text “Smoking kills” printed on it. However, the new law will require tobacco companies to cover two-thirds of the packaging with grotesque, graphic images depicting the consequences of smoking cigarettes.
Cigarette packaging with just the “smoking kills” slogan are allowed to be printed until the end of May 2016 and are able to be sold at stores for one year. At the end of that marker, there is no way for consumers (even those who don’t smoke) to escape the gruesome images—for example rotting teeth, diseased lungs and sick infants. Tobacco producers are printing as many packages as possible before the deadline to put off the compliance as long as possible.
Germany will also ban the use of cigarette ads on public billboards, posters and in movie theatres that show films for anyone younger than 18 years of age. “Our goal is to prevent young people from starting to smoke,” Social Democrat drug policy spokesman Burkhard Blienert said. The German motto for World No Tobacco Day 2016 is “No room for toxic messages”.
Graphic warnings on cigarette labels in the UK and France thus far produce skepticism
These graphic warnings on cigarette labels laws have already been implemented in the UK and France, but despite the graphic images, still roughly one-quarter of French people still smoke. The UK has made more progress, and roughly 19% of Brits say they are smokers.
Some are still very skeptical of the potential to reduce smoking through these graphic images, especially considering the rules on smoking in public in Germany. In the UK and France, for example, it is illegal to smoke indoors and at bars or restaurants. However, in some German states, it is still allowed under certain circumstances.
Opponents of the images also feel that they won’t have a significant impact on reducing the amount of smokers who currently light up, but proponents feel that it may deter those who haven’t smoked before to start.
And despite the fact that a WHO survey found that “graphic pictures can significantly enhance the impact of warning labels,” 76% of Germans said that they don’t believe the shock images will reduce smoking.
Another option: get rid of the label, too!
Australia’s lawmakers have already placed even stricter regulations on cigarette packaging. Since 2012, all cigarette packs down under have large graphic images warning against smoking, without any logo at all. Instead, the brand name is in a small, neutral text at the bottom of the package.
Some feel that this will replace the positive images that tobacco advertisers give to cigarettes with negative associations from graphic warnings on cigarette labels.
France is set to introduce similar rules at the end of 2016, much to the protest of French tobacco companies. Germany is long way from neutral packaging, but hey… you have to start somewhere.
