The impact of pictorial health warnings (PHW) on tobacco packages: the first quasi-experimental field trial after the implementation of the law in Italy

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Abstract

Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate in the Italian smokers, the effects of implementation of the law about Pictorial Health Warnings (PHWs) on tobacco products. Methods. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was conducted between 2016 and 2017. The data were collected before (pre-PHW/Wave 1) and after (post-PHW/Wave 2) the implementation of the law. The adopted questionnaire included impact of advertisement (Label Impact Index, LII), quitting behavior and knowledge of tobacco related diseases.

Results. 455 respondents completed both the Waves. 7.7% of smokers declared to have stopped smoking in Wave 2 and 29% of these declared the PHWs as one of the reasons to quit. The knowledge of tobacco related diseases was significantly (p <0.001) increased from Wave 1 to Wave 2 (58% versus 72%), similarly the LII (mean = 26.9, SD = 16.7 and mean = 40.4, SD = 16.2).

Conclusion. Tobacco addiction is a problem that needs to be addressed from different angles. PHWs confirm their complementary role as a support for smokers along with other strategies such as text warnings and the tobacco quit line of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) reported on the packages. Nonetheless, over the years these measures have been not enough and policy makers should consider more strategies synergistically acting in the fight against tabagism.

 

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Authors

Alice Mannocci - Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8527-6940

Daniele Mipatrini - Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

Gianmarco Troiano - Post Graduate School of Public Health, University of Siena, Italy

Federico Milazzo - Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

Elisa Langiano - Department of Human, Social and Health Sciences, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio

Maria Ferrara - Department of Human, Social and Health Sciences, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio

Alberto Firenze - Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care “Giuseppe D'Alessandro”, University of Palermo

Sandro Provenzano - Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care “Giuseppe D'Alessandro”, University of Palermo

Maria Rosaria Gualano - Department of Public Health, University of Turin

Maria Fiore - Department "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania

Giovanni Boccia - Department of Hygiene, University of Salerno

Gabriele Messina - Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena

Elisabetta De Vito - Department of Human, Social and Health Sciences, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio

Roberta Siliquini - Department of Public Health, University of Turin

Paolo Villari - Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome

Giuseppe La Torre - Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome

How to Cite
Mannocci, A., Mipatrini, D., Troiano, G., Milazzo, F., Langiano, E., Ferrara, M., … La Torre, G. (2019). The impact of pictorial health warnings (PHW) on tobacco packages: the first quasi-experimental field trial after the implementation of the law in Italy. Annali dell’Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 55(2), 186–194. Retrieved from https://annali.iss.it/index.php/anna/article/view/826
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