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Smokers' knowledge and understanding of advertised tar numbers: Health policy implications

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  • Cohen, J.B.

Abstract

Objectives. This article examines health policy implications of providing smokers with numerical tar yield information in cigarette advertising. Methods. Results of a national probability telephone survey regarding smokers' knowledge and understanding of numerical tar yields and deliveries are reported. Results. Few smokers knew the tar level of their own cigarettes (the exception being smokers of 1- to 5-mg tar cigarettes), and a majority could not correctly judge the relative tar levels of cigarettes. Smokers were unsure whether switching to lower-tar cigarettes would reduce their personal health risks. Many smokers relied on absolute numbers in making trade-offs between number of cigarettes smoked and their tar levels, thus confusing machine-rated tar yields with actual amounts ingested. Conclusions. The wisdom of the present method of providing tar and nicotine numbers in ads and recommendations for modifying the test protocol are now under discussion. This research indicates that these tar numbers and their implications are poorly understood. The paper recommends revisions in tar ratings to make them more useful and a required statement on cigarette packages to more explicitly relate tar levels to major health risks.

Suggested Citation

  • Cohen, J.B., 1996. "Smokers' knowledge and understanding of advertised tar numbers: Health policy implications," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 86(1), pages 18-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1996:86:1:18-24_2
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    Cited by:

    1. World Health Organization, 2003. "SACTob Recommendation on Health Claims Derived form ISO/FTC Method to Measure Cigarette Yield," University of California at San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education qt9rp541j0, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, UC San Francisco.
    2. Beth Pontari & Andrea Stanaland & Tom Smythe, 2009. "Regulating Information Disclosure in Mutual Fund Advertising in the United States: Will Consumers Utilize Cost Information?," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 333-351, December.
    3. Nakamura, Ryota & Yao, Ying, 2021. "Does Restricting the Availability of Cigarettes Reduce Smoking?," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-108, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    4. Christopher Berry & Scot Burton & Jeremy Kees & J. Craig Andrews, 2021. "A Longitudinal Assessment of Corrective Advertising Mandated in United States v. Philip Morris USA, Inc," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(4), pages 757-770, July.
    5. Man‐Ser Jan & Tsu‐Tan Fu & Chung L. Huang, 2005. "Willingness to pay for low‐lung‐cancer‐risk cigarettes in Taiwan," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(1), pages 55-67, January.

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