The Irish Government yesterday marked the introduction of graphic health warnings by releasing this scary photograph.
The person on the right (looking less than a picture of health) is – you guessed – Minister for Health Dr James Reilly.
The Department of Health also took the opportunity to tell people that:
According to the World Health Organisation, in Canada the introduction of photo images on cigarette packs resulted in a fourfold increase in smoker’s intentions to quit.
In other words, there is no evidence that smokers in Canada did quit as a result of picture warnings, merely that there was a reported increase in their "intention" to quit.
According to the DoH:
The introduction of these warnings builds on other legislative measures taken to date in relation to tobacco including the ban in 2009 of the display and advertising of tobacco products in retail units.
It is anticipated that these particular measures will have a positive impact on reducing the numbers of young people starting to smoke.
Anticipated? A display ban was introduced in Ireland four years ago. As in Canada there seems to be no evidence that it has had any effect on the number of people smoking (young or old) but, don't worry, the government anticipates that it will. Er, eventually.