U.S. Food & Drug Administration Requires New Cigarette Warning Labels

WHAT: Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park) faculty members provide insight and research data in support of graphic label requirements for cigarette packs. Beginning in September 2012, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States. 

WHO: Maansi Bansal-Travers, PhD, Behavioral Research Scientist at Roswell Park, is available upon request.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 21

To schedule an appointment, call 716-845-8593 or email Annie.Deck-Miller@RoswellPark.org

ROSWELL PARK RESEARCH:

• Dr. Bansal-Travers and colleagues helped inform the FDA about the types of warning labels that are most effective. (She discusses some of her research here.)
• Research conducted all over the world by Roswell Park faculty members has shown repeatedly that large, pictorial warnings work best for encouraging smokers to quit and preventing nonsmokers from starting to smoke.

BACKGROUND:

• New FDA regulations represent the most significant change in U.S. cigarette warnings since 1985.
• The warnings will consist of nine new text statements accompanied by color graphics depicting the negative health consequences of smoking.
• Warnings must appear on the upper portion of the front and rear panels of each cigarette package and comprise at least the top 50 percent of these panels.
• Tobacco companies have 15 months to make the changes.
• Links to U.S. Food & Drug Administration materials can be found at http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/Labeling/CigaretteWarningLabels/default.htm

The mission of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Roswell Park, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit Roswell Park’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email AskRoswell@Roswellpark.org.