Page 40 - TAIWAN TOBACCO CONTROL ANNUAL REPORT 2019

38 However, many smokers would ignore these health warning labels on tobacco products once they get accustomed to them. This would lead to a significant drop on warning effects. To ensure that the health warning labels are able to effectively remind the public on the Hazards of smoking, the HPA thus revised Articles 12, Articles 13, as well as attachment pictures for Article 2 of the Regulations Governing Nicotine and Tar Content Measurement and Container Labeling for Tobacco Items on August 20, 2013. These revised provisions were officially promulgated on June 1, 2014. ◎ The second edition of graphic warnings on cigarette packages The 8 new health warning labels underwent years of preparations via the new images and text health warnings development project which solicited various design entries. Overt 1,000 entries were subject to various assessment processes such as focus group interviews, eye tracking tests, and questionnaire investigations to select 12 warning pictures. At the same time, the HPA reviewed the 37 warning labels authorized by the European Union for selection as well. Expert discussion meetings were then convened to discuss, revise, and generate the final 8 health warning images. These 8 health warnings target different demographics and include both emotional and rational aspects, appealing to the smoker through emotive elements of the individual to the family. Information on the Taiwan Smokers' Helpline (TSH) was provided to integrate the desire, motivation, and drive to quit smoking. Due to the fact that the issue of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages was widely covered and discussed in the media in the year preceding the amendment, public interest on the issue gradually waned. The results of a commissioned research project titled "Exploration of the impact of revised pictorial health warnings on smoking behavior of the general public" show that the attitude score of smokers regarding the effectiveness of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages was significantly lower after the amendment than prior to it (as indicated by surveys conducted on the month of amendment and three months after the amendment). Smokers also agreed less with the effectiveness of such pictorial health warnings after the amendment. The effect of the pictorial warnings therefore failed to meet expectations. The only significant impact was that the highest ratio of callers dialed the smoking cessation hotline due to the pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages in 2014 and 2015. The Ministry of Finance points out that the revised pictorial health warnings are conducive to clearly identify whether or not taxes have been paid in accordance with relevant laws for tobacco products when investigating smuggling.