UNC Lineberger members Seth Noar, PhD, Noel T. Brewer, PhD, and Kurt M. Ribisl, PhD, published a paper in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly that examined the results of 22 different studies that looked at the impact of cigarette pack warnings.
Based on their analysis, the researchers determined that stronger warnings led to increased attention to the warnings, as well as increased thinking about smoking health risks. They concluded that policies for strengthened warnings should be a priority for tobacco control globally.
Noar, who is a professor in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was corresponding author of the study. Brewer, a professor in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Ribisl, professor in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and program leader of the UNC Lineberger Cancer Prevention and Control Program, were co-authors. The other authors included Diane B. Francis, Christy Bridges and Jennah M. Sontag.
The full study is available online.