Health Information Messages

Health information messages provide information on the health benefits of quitting, the quitting process and cessation tools. They are located inside tobacco packages.

The new health information messages for cigarettes and little cigars are more action-oriented and enhanced with colour and graphics to increase visibility.

This page provides information on studies supporting the messages, as well as links to further information.

On this page

• General benefits of quitting
• The benefits of quitting for pregnant women
• The benefits of quitting for your lungs
• Promotion of cessation tools
• The quitting process

General benefits of quitting

Read more about the benefits of quitting

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Benefits of Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 1990. Preface, P.xi. Accessed from:  http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/NN/B/B/C/V/_/nnbbcv.pdf.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004. Ch.1, P.25. Accessed from:  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2004/pdfs/chapter1.pdf.

Taylor D.H. Jr, Hasselblad V, Henley SJ, Thun MJ, Sloan FA. Benefits of smoking cessation for longevity. American Journal of Public Health 2002; 92:990-996. P.990.

Health Canada. Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey. Ottawa: Canada. Department of Health, Controlled Substances and Tobacco Control Directorate, Office of Tobacco Research, Surveillance and Evaluation, 2009. Accessed from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/tobac-tabac/research-recherche/stat/ctums-esutc_2009-eng.php.

The benefits of quitting for pregnant women

Read more about smoking and pregnancy.

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2004. Ch.5, p.601. Available from:  http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokingconsequences/index.html.

U.S. Deparment of Health and Human Services. The Benefits of Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 1990. Ch.8, p.410. Available from:  http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/NN/B/B/C/T/.

The benefits of quitting for your lungs

Read more about lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004. Ch.4, P.509. Accessed from:  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2004/pdfs/chapter4.pdf.

The Canadian Lung Association [www.lung.ca]. What is COPD? [accessed January 28, 2011]. Available from:  http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/copd-mpoc/what-quoi/index_e.php.

Baliunas D, Patra J, Rehm J, Popova S, Kaiserman M, Taylor B. Smoking-attributable mortality and expected years of life lost in Canada 2002: Conclusions for prevention and policy. Chronic Diseases in Canada 2007;27(4):154-162. P.154.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 1990. Ch.7, P.349. Accessed from:  http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/NN/B/B/D/M/_/nnbbdm.pdf.

Kanner RE, Connect JE, Williams DE, Built AS. Effects of randomized assignment to a smoking cessation intervention and changes in smoking habits on respiratory symptoms in smokers with early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the lung health study. American Journal of Medicine 1999;106:410-416. P.414.

Promotion of cessation tools

Read more about smoking cessation tools.

References

WHO. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2009. P.8.  http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/en/index.html

Baliunas D, Patra J, Rehm J, Popva S, Kaiserman M, Taylor B. Smoking-attributable mortality and expected years of life lost in Canada 2002: Conclusions for prevention and policy. Chronic Diseases in Canada 2007; 27(4):154-162. P.154.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004. Ch.1, P.25. Accessed from:  http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokingconsequences/.

Mulder, I., Tijhuis, M., Smit, H.A., Kromhout, D. Smoking cessation and quality of life: the effect of amount of smoking and time since quitting. Preventive Medicine 2001; 33(6): 653-660. P.653.

Fiore MC, Jaen CR, Baker TB. Clinical practice guideline: treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. US Department of Health and Human Services 2008;1-275. P. 28.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Clinical Practice Guideline. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2008. Ch.6, P.102-103,109. Available from:  http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use08.pdf

The quitting process

Read more about dealing with withdrawal.

References

WHO. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2009. p.8  http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/en/index.html

Baliunas D, Patra J, Rehm J, Popva S, Kaiserman M, Taylor B. Smoking-attributable mortality and expected years of life lost in Canada 2002: Conclusions for prevention and policy. Chronic Diseases in Canada 2007; 27(4):154-162. P.154.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004. Ch.1, P.9. Accessed from:  http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokingconsequences/.

US. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking-Nicotine Addiction: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1988. Ch.1, P.9. Accessed from:  http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/NN/B/B/Z/D/.

Orleans, T.C. Understanding and Promoting Smoking Cessation: Overview and Guidelines for Physician Intervention. Annual Review of Medicine 1985; 36:51-61. P.54.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Clinical Practice Guideline. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2008. Ch.6, P.102-103,109. Available from:  http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/treating_tobacco_use08.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease...what it means to you. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2010. P.5.
Available from:  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2010/consumer_booklet/pdfs/
consumer.pdf

Hecht SS. Research Opportunities Related to Establishing Standards for Tobacco Products Under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Nicotine & Tobacco Research [http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/] Commentary [accepted November 25, 2010]. Published 2011 January;10.1093/ntr/ntq216.
Available from:  http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/01/09/ntr.ntq216.full.pdf+html.