Warning labels – The daily blog of behavioral and cognitive economics

The tussle over cigarette warning labels, and the hazy future of vaping

In 1966, the first warning label appeared on the side of cigarette packs in the United States. Stating “Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health,” it was also the first such warning for tobacco in the world. The message had been watered down from what was originally proposed, due to much political pressure from the tobacco industry, and the labels haven’t changed much since; they were last updated in 1984. New, more graphic designs created in 2020 have not yet been released, held up by legal challenges. Many other countries have gone on to add graphic, full-color warning images, for instance of decaying teeth, gangrenous toes and patients dying of lung cancer, to cigarette packets, as well as explicit statements around the negative health effects. ….[READ]