What you see isn't always what you get

Whether it's a birthday, Christmas, anniversary or other special occasion, there's a good chance somebody is going to get a present. Of course the gift is carefully wrapped in bright paper with ribbons and bows.

And while that sort of wrapping goes a long way towards helping to create a mood of cheerfulness and fun of the event being celebrated, another form of packaging shouldn't be considered so upbeat.

Last week, the Journal of Public Health released a study that found when it come comes to choosing what kind of cigarette to smoke, it appears those wrapped in prettier packages are considered to be less lethal than their plain wrapped counterparts.

The study's researchers asked 312 adult smokers and 291 non-smokers in Ontario to look at pairs of cigarette packages with differing elements and then inquired about perceived taste, tar delivery and health risk.

They found respondents were significantly more likely to rate packages with the words light, mild, smooth and silver as having a smoother taste, delivering less tar and having a lower health risk, compared with the packages of regular cigarettes. As well, lighter coloured packages or those featuring a filter were also considered to more likely taste smooth, deliver less tar and have a lower health risk.

Smokers were more likely to perceive brands as having a lower health risk based on the packaging; and smokers of light or mild cigarettes were found to be more likely than other smokers to observe certain brands as having a smoother taste and reduced health risk.

What does this tell us? Well, even with all of the current mandatory warning labels and notices, smokers are still paying heed to the marketing strategies of tobacco companies.

Cigarette smoking is a dangerous and deadly activity - regardless of the subtle insinuations on the packages. Health Canada estimates a Canadian dies every 11 minutes from tobacco use; and every ten minutes two Canadian teenagers start smoking - with one of them dying because of it.

But you don't smoke. Why should you care? The federal department also says that more than 1,000 Canadians who never smoked die every year - due to exposure to tobacco smoke. And this doesn't include other illnesses borne out of inhaling cigarette smoke.

Overall, Health Canada estimates in excess of 37,000 Canadians die annually due to tobacco smoke.

If fancy or misleading words on a package can entice somebody to pick up a cigarette or give them a false belief that one pack is safer than the other, then it's time to clear the shelves of any colourful or carefully scripted tobacco packs. Strip them all down to one basic colour - with just the brand name and warning labels left intact.

If somebody wants to smoke, so be it. If they can't decide which brand they want, well, let them read the content advisory on each package. It's that simple. It's best to be an informed consumer, especially when their and other people's health are at risk.