this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2025
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In February, the World Health Organization's European office declared: "Clear and prominent health warning labels on alcohol, which include a specific cancer warning, are a cornerstone of the right to health."

In a report, it urged governments to introduce them to help reduce alcohol-related harm and raise awareness of the link between drinking and cancer.

Dr Gauden Galea, a WHO adviser, said in the report that policymakers should "resist all the pressure that will inevitably come from commercial actors" who claim such warnings do not work.

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[–] ModestMeme@lemm.ee 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I agree people should be aware of hazards in their lives, but endless warning signs just become a blur and are not even seen.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I disagree, warning signs and public health campaigns did a number on tobacco sales. We have almost snuffed out smoking from those efforts.

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Warning have been on tobacco most of my life. I'm 53 and remember them as a teen ager.

Also remember no one really paying any attention. Banning advertising had the largest effect. As it was clear warning while companies could still advertise made no sense.

Then banning display in stores. Finally banning children born after a set date.

In no way we're the warning the main cause of the drip in use.

[–] Laser@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They are part of a working strategy, which also includes stuff like

  • advertising bans
  • sales only in dedicated stores off-limits to anyone under age
  • taxes
[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 2 points 1 week ago

Agreed. But that strategy did not start until very recently.

Warnings have been used for 40 plus years alone. With very little effect.

[–] red@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Warnings on tobacco have done nothing, rising prices have. Noone I know pays any attention to the actual cancer lung imagea on the packs.

It's there, but I don't actually see it apart from maybe once a month.

In case this is not common, that's a 18 cig Marlboro Red pack and it costs 11.50EUR

[–] IttihadChe@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 days ago

It's not the actual image itself that stops you.

Just like advertisements aren't designed to make you run out to buy a burger right now.

It's the cultural/long term education.

Of course rising prices also helps, it's harder to justify the more expensive it is.

[–] Grabthar@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

People here laughed at those and traded them around like cards. Banning tobacco in all public places though, that got very noticeable and immediate results. The public health campaign "helped" about as much as a 3 year old making cookies with mom.

[–] Laser@feddit.org 5 points 1 week ago

The fact that there will be pushback shows that they do work