Survey of Smokers at Bangkoto’s Store Who are Affected by the Graphic Warning

Labels of Cigarette Packs

Smoking has been a common problem encountered in the community wherein a large
number of cigarettes are consumed by smokers daily. In relation, smokers consume 5-12
cigarettes per day, which has unavoidable negative consequences not only for the consumers
but also for the general public.
According to the study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, smoking causes cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2014, the government released the graphic warning labels
on cigarette packaging in order to reduce the number of cigarette smokers in the Philippines.
Graphic warning labels on cigarette boxes have been encountered by smokers. As
they continue to notice the said signs, it was observed that it has an effect on smokers'
behavior, whether they will quit or not.
According to Hammond et al., warning labels are effective in communicating the
health risks of smoking. Strong et al. suggest that the introduction of graphic warning label
packs appears to reduce positive perceptions of cigarettes and increase quitting cognitions in
the short term.
Research conducted by Strong et al. in the year 2021, which is part of the U.S.
Nutritional Cancer Institute, 357 participants were examined. 116 were randomized to the
U.S. pack group, 118 were randomized to the graphic warning label pack group, and 125
were randomized to the blank pack group (which contains only the brand name). The result
presents strong evidence that warning labels increase smokers' intentions to quit smoking. In
the case of Turkey, men's smoking rate was approximately 44% in 2008 and dropped to 39%
in 2010 and 37.3% in 2012 due to the introduction of graphic pictorial warnings.
In the Philippines specifically, Aeso et al. of Up Diliman Communication Research
affirmed that around 42% of Filipinos changed their behavior since the warnings had a great
effect on their decision, while 28.7% said the warnings somehow affected their decision to
quit smoking tobacco products.
Despite all studies, no research has been conducted on people affected by graphic
warning labels on cigarette packs among smokers in the Cordilliera region and local levels.
UP Diliman, on the other hand, conducted research on people or smokers in Quezon City
who are affected by warning packs. As a result, the purpose of this study is to identify
consumers or smokers who are affected by the graphic warning labels at Bangkoto Store in
Lubas, La Trinidad, Benguet.