烟草在线据《便利店新闻》报道编译　　据由加拿大卫生部委托进行的一项最新调查结果显示，美国对卷烟包装印制图片健康警语的提议可能被暂时搁置了，但从去年秋季开始，加拿大的卷烟包装已印制了健康警语，不过并未达到预期效果。

　　据《国家邮报》报道称，加拿大卫生部在今年3月委托环境研究集团（Environics Research Group）对吸烟者开展了一次基线调查。该项目调查了1505位加拿大的成年吸烟者。该调查结果显示，绝大多数的吸烟者承认吸烟是一个主要的健康问题；但是，只有不到一半的受访者认为烟盒上的健康警语对改变他们的整体吸烟习惯是有效的。

　　具体来说，近90%的受访者称他们曾看见、听说或阅读过之前宣传的有关健康警语的信息。三分之一的受访者称他们每天会至少看一次健康警语的信息。参与调查的大多数吸烟者表示，健康警语信息能提供准确的和重要的有关吸烟危害健康的信息。据调查报告称，受访者能想起的图片往往是最恐怖的那些图片。

　　不过，如果政府试图通过图片健康警语来劝阻成年吸烟者放弃吸烟的话，那么他们很可能无法达到预期目标——只有三分之一的受访者表示健康警语在促使他们减少吸烟方面有效。约40%的受访者称，这种健康警语信息使他们更愿意戒烟或更愿意尝试戒烟。

　　6月19日，加拿大的卷烟零售商必须确保他们商店里的所有卷烟包装使用了新的健康警语。类似的卷烟健康警语包装将于今年9月在美国开始生效；不过，几个烟草公司一直从法律上挑战该项举措。美国食品和药品管理局在2011年6月公布了9种健康警语，并决定在2012年9月22日正式实施。但是，在2011年8月，R.J.雷诺、罗瑞拉德、共和品牌烟草公司和利吉特集团等几个烟草公司根据《第一修正案》发起了诉讼以阻止该项措施的实施。

　　到目前为止，裁决似乎对烟草公司有利，不过，美国食品和药品管理局并未放弃努力。正如CS新闻在线此前所报道的一样，人们普遍认为，该诉讼将由美国最高法院做出最后裁决。

　　评论：

　　加拿大的控烟行动一直走在世界前列，是最早实行图片健康警语的国家之一。图片警语目的是要对吸烟者产生震慑作用，从而促使其戒烟，但是实施图片警语后，能对多少吸烟者产生了多大的震慑作用，却很难进行精确的统计。虽然久而久之，烟瘾大的烟民可能会习以为常，但还是会有一部分成年烟民因此而减少吸烟或戒烟。对于青少年来说，图片警语阻止他们开始吸烟的效果可能更好，因为那些原本设计时尚的烟盒，换成了令人恐惧的恶心图片，将大大失去吸引力。总之，健康警语的效果，还需要从长期来进行评估。

Canadian Smokers Still Lighting Up Despite Graphic Warnings

　　Graphic cigarette warning labels may be on hold in the United States but cigarette packages in Canada have featured the health warnings since last fall and they may not be having the intended effect, according to a new survey commissioned by Health Canada.

　　According to the National Post, Health Canada commissioned Environics Research Group to do a baseline survey of smokers this past March. The project surveyed 1,505 Canadian adult smokers. The survey found that smokers overwhelmingly recognize smoking is a major problem; however, fewer than half of respondents consider the warning labels effective at changing their overall smoking habit.

　　Specifically, nearly nine in 10 said they have seen, heard or read about the earlier health warning messages. One in three said they look at the warning messages at least once a day. Most smokers participating in the survey said warning messages provide accurate, important information about the health effects of smoking. The images they recall tend to be the most graphic, according to the report.

　　But if the graphic warnings are meant to dissuade adult smokers from lighting up, they may be missing the target -- with one in three survey respondents indicating the warnings have been effective in getting them to smoke less. About four in 10 said the messages have increased their desire to quit smoking or made them try to quit.

　　Retailers in Canada had until June 19 to ensure that all cigarette packaging in their stores featured the new warnings. Similar warnings were set to be go into effect in the United States this September; however, several tobacco companies have been fighting the efforts in the legal arena. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled the nine warnings in June 2011 with a Sept. 22, 2012 implementation fate. However, in August 2011 several tobacco companies, including R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard Inc., Commonwealth Brands Inc. and Liggett Group LLC, filed a lawsuit to block the mandate on First Amendment grounds.

　　Rulings to date have appeared to come down on the side of the tobacco companies but the FDA is not giving up. The matter is widely expected to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, as CSNews Online as previously reported. Enditem