Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) New Zealand
Media Release
For Immediate Release
Dated: 24 July 2006
Light, mild and smooth? Yeah Right
A new survey shows terms such as light, mild and smooth create considerable confusion about the harm caused by
cigarettes.
The survey, conducted by researchers from Massey University and supported by ASH New Zealand, suggests the New Zealand
government should urgently review the descriptors used on cigarette packets.
Following on from earlier work that examined how Australian consumers interpreted “light”, the current study examined
how a sample of New Zealand adolescents interpreted ‘light” and “mild”, and an alternative, “smooth”, which Australian
tobacco manufacturers plan to use as a replacement for “light” and “mild”.
Professor Janet Hoek, from Massey¹s College of Business, led the research and said the results showed young people often
incorrectly perceived brands labeled as “light”, “mild” or “smooth” as less harmful or less addictive. Professor Hoek
states: “We now have research from New Zealand demonstrating substantial mis-interpretation of these terms among young
people”.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has entered into arrangements with several tobacco companies that
will see the removal of the words “light” and “mild” from cigarette packets. It will also see the tobacco companies pay
for a remedial campaign designed to correct false beliefs held by smokers.
ASH NZ Director Becky Freeman says: “The tobacco industry has routinely exploited every opportunity to attract new users
to their lethal product. As promotion channels have become less available, they have paid more and more attention to the
design of their packages and the words used on these. We urge the government to follow Australia’s lead and afford New
Zealand citizens the same level of protection.”
Professor Hoek concurs with the need for regulatory action. “We know that young people are seduced by the glamorous
imagery the tobacco industry still associate with smoking and that, because of this, they do not understand how
addictive nicotine is, or the longer term risks of smoking.”
“Terms such as “light”, “mild” and “smooth” are widely misunderstood by young people, and create the impression that
cigarettes labelled in this way are less harmful or less addictive.”
Ms Freeman calls upon the government to ban the use of deceptive descriptors. “There is compelling international
evidence that these descriptors imply health benefits that are simply not delivered – if this is not deception, it is
hard to know what is.”
ENDS