Tobacco

The journal Media and Communication has published a special issue on "Adolescents in the Digital Age: Effects on Health and Development," edited by APPC research director Dan Romer.

A study using a real-world approach to evaluate graphic warning labels on cigarette packs has found that the emotionally engaging images are more successful than simple text warnings at educating smokers about the risks of smoking.

A new study suggests that using emotionally evocative images on cigarette warning labels such as rotting teeth and a diseased lung is important in making the labels more memorable and effective in conveying the risks of smoking. The study addresses a key point raised in 2012 by the U.S. courts, which ruled that the pictorial labels were unconstitutional in part because they "did not convey any information at all."

Nearly 100 high school students from across the Philadelphia region took part in the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s inaugural summer camp program devoted to learning about and participating in anti-tobacco advertising research. The program brought teenagers from 19 area schools to APPC for three week-long sessions.