lle _— SMOKE ON - IN CASE OF EMERGENCY DIAL "0" The second part of the Canadian Scene. If this assumption is correct, there may be a need for cigarettes which are low in tar and carbon monoxide, but which contain higher quantities of nicotine. Product modifications should take advantage of the fact that the last smokeable portion of the cigarette contains the highest concentration of tar and nicotine. To date smokers have only been warned about this and have been urged not to smoke their cigarettes too short. The Isabelle Report' recommended a more active approach—that is, placing a red line around each cigarette to indicate when it should be discarded. This would provide a ready reminder to smokers and help them to voluntarily smoke more safely. A more extreme approach would be to wrap the end of the cigarette with a fire-resistant material which would extinguish the cigarette when the butt reached a certain length. Other ways of reducing the effect of concentrated tar and nicotine in the butt end of cigarettes would be to reduce the length of cigarettes or to increase the length of the portion that cannot be smoked. The steady progression of lengths from the regular cigarette at 70 mm, to the popular king size at 85 mm, then to 100 mm and now to 120 mm has to some extent offset the benefits of the reduced tar and nicotine yield in the cigarettes. Reducing the smokeable portion of cigarettes would lead to less hazardous smoking. and discussions are now taking place between the federal government and the tobacco industry on this subject. SOCIETAL INFLUENCES ON SMOKING Smokers make up less than one-half of the Canadian population 20 years of age and over and the proportion has been decreasing fairly steadily. Nevertheless, smoking is still widely regarded as socially acceptable behaviour even though it is also generally recognized as a health hazard. It has been suggested that the favourable image of smoking and the presence of so many smokers are important factors in recruiting new smokers among young people, in preventing regular smokers from quitting, and in getting former smokers to start again. Ads make use of the strong social bond inherent in smoking and are aimed at those who search for companion- ship and seek security in interpersonal relationships. Another approach emphasizes product quality and taste. More recently, increasing emphasis is being placed on mildness and low nicotine levels. The following examples of slogans used in the advertise- ments indicate the essence of the various appeals: “Get a taste of independence” “Wherever you go... so much more to enjoy” “The best tobacco money can buy" “Come to the good taste” “Looking good. Tasting great.” “A taste you can call your own” “When mildness becomes important”’ “Two refreshing ways to quench your taste, Mild and Extra Mild” “The gentle art of milder smoking” “Canada's mildest cigarette.” These advertisements stress enjoyment, taste and mildness, all of which are sensate appeals. The ads use the word “‘taste’”’ in a number of different ways. ‘‘Taste’’ has the connotation of pleasant stimulation of olfaction but, more importantly, it is used as a euphemism for satisfaction of the craving for nicotine as in ‘two refreshing ways to quench your taste’. There is also a hint of a unique aroma and appearance that smokers ‘‘prefer’’. which is depicted as a personal taste — for example. ‘‘a taste you can call your own . EFFECTIVENESS Because mass media techniques have obviously been used successfully to market all types of products, it has been widely accepted that these same techniques should be very effective in changing attitudes. This assumption seems to be true in the case of loosely held or ‘neutral’ health-related attitudes. They can be altered fairly easily if the message being communicated relates directly to them and if the new attitude which is being promoted is consistent with existing public opinion. However, attitudes which are grounded in tradition and are strongly held, are very difficult to change. This difference in attitude strength is important in under- standing why the mass media are effectively used to sella brand of cigarettes but might fail to convince a smoker to quit or a nonsmoker not to start. REGULATORY RESTRICTIONS Measures which interfere least with an individual's usual action or behaviour are likely to be the most effective, while those which demand significant behavioural changes, involve inconvenience, or are time consuming are unlikely to succeed. Based on this assumption, regulations are more effective when they are applied to the product or to adverti- sing than when they require an individual to take some action to comply with the law. Canadian manufacturers voluntarily restricted tar and nicotine levels as of January 1, 1972, in order to avoid the adoption of proposed federal government legislation. The voluntary termination of cigarette advertising on radio and television in Canada as of January 1, 1972, has helped somewhat to limit the extent of advertising and has shifted it primarily to magazines and newspapers. However, advertising still exerts an important influence by giving tobacco products an aura of social acceptability. ‘Isabelle, G.M. Report of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare, and Social Affairs on Tobacco and Cigarette Smoking, House of Commons, Canada, Session 1969-1970. *Extracted from Smoking and Health in Canada: Long Range Health Planning Branch and Non-Medical Use of Drugs Directorate. March 1977. UP IN SMOKE! World spending on smoking is estimated at $85 billion to $100 billion, covering an annual consumption of four trillion cigarettes.