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OBJECTIVES: To synthesize eye-tracking-based evidence on consumers' visual attention devoted to alcohol warning labels (AWLs) on alcohol packaging. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. METHODS: Two rounds of a literature search were conducted to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles and unpublished grey literature. While the first round (July 3 to August 21, 2023) was based on three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO), the second round (May 20 to 28, 2024) followed a multiple-step protocol that systematically searched the grey literature. Five criteria were applied to screen eligible articles. Using established quality control tools, the identified articles were assessed for overall quality and then for quality specific to the eye-tracking method. RESULTS: Six published peer-reviewed articles were thus included in the current review along with one unpublished research paper from a doctoral thesis. This review paper summarizes earlier findings in terms of bottom-up (i.e., AWL design-related) factors such as size, color, surrounding border, and pictorial elements, and top-down (i.e., goal-driven) factors such as motivation to change drinking behavior and self-affirmation. The review found that people tend to pay very little attention to AWLs displayed on alcohol packaging, although there is mixed evidence as to the effectiveness of specific factors. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigations using eye-tracking are needed to collect additional evidence on attention devoted to AWLs. Meanwhile, we put forward implications for policymakers and future avenues for research based on our review of the existing literature.

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An important area for tackling climate change and health improvement is reducing population meat consumption. Traffic light labelling has successfully been implemented to reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods and sugary drinks. The present research extends this work to meat selection. We tested 1,300 adult UK meat consumers (with quotas for age and gender to approximate a nationally representative sample). Participants were randomised into one of four experimental groups: (1) a red traffic light label with the text 'High Climate Impact' displayed on meat meal options only; (2) a green traffic light label with the text 'Low Climate Impact' displayed on vegetarian and vegan meal options only; (3) red/orange/green (ROG) traffic light labels displayed on relevant meals; and (4) control (no label present). Participants made meal selections within their randomised group across 20 meal trials. A beta-regression was performed to ascertain the change in primary outcome (proportion of meat meals selected across the 20 trials) across the different groups. The red-only label and ROG labels significantly reduced the proportion of meat meals selected compared to the unlabelled control group, by 9.2% and 9.8% respectively. The green-only label did not differ from control. Negatively framed traffic light labels seem to be effective at discouraging meat selection. The labels appeared to be moderately acceptable to meat eaters, who did not think the labels impacted the appeal of the products. These encouraging findings require replication in real-life settings.

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OBJECTIVE: India has the highest number of smokeless tobacco (SLT) products available in different forms, consumed in various ways. The current study aimed to understand the pattern of daily SLT use according to different product categories and whether Quit intention and Quit attempts vary by SLT type and exposure to media messages. METHODS: Data from Global Adult Tobacco Surveys (GATS), 2016-17, was used to find access to media messages and warning labels by SLT type. Quit attempt and Quit intention were calculated for each of the SLT types. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify whether access to media messages, warning labels influenced, quit intention and attempts vary by SLT type. RESULTS: Khaini or tobacco lime mixture was the most common SLT type consumed by 37% of SLT users, whereas SLT users consuming more than one product accounted for 23% of SLT users. Exposure to media messages and warning labels was high among Gutkha/ paan masala tobacco users (74.7% and 81.2%) and low among oral tobacco (Mishri, Gul, Gudakhu) users (56.1% and 60.0%). Quit attempts and quit intention were high among Gutkha/ paan masala tobacco users (38.3% and 22.3%) and low among oral tobacco (Mishri, Gul, Gudakhu) users (25.3% and 13.6%). Users of Oral tobacco and khaini or tobacco-lime mixture were significantly less likely to attempt quitting (AOR 0.806(95%CI: 0.676-0.962), 0.839(95%CI: 0.736-0.956), and have quit intention (AOR 0.681(95%CI: 0.702-0.976), 0.733(95%CI: 0.627-0.857) compared to Gutkha/ paan masala with tobacco users. CONCLUSION: The reach of media messages and warning labels varies by SLT type. Quit intention and attempts vary by SLT type and access to media messages and warning labels. There is a need to re-strategise the tobacco control Information, Education and Communication (IEC) to reach out with effective messaging to the most unreached.

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BACKGROUND: High consumption of red and processed meat contributes to both health and environmental harms. Warning labels and taxes for red meat reduce selection of red meat overall, but little is known about how these potential policies affect purchases of subcategories of red meat (e.g., processed versus unprocessed) or of non-red-meat foods (e.g., cheese, pulses) relevant to health and environmental outcomes. This study examined consumer responses to warning labels and taxes for red meat in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: In October 2021, we recruited 3,518 US adults to complete a shopping task in a naturalistic online grocery store. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four arms: control (no warning labels or tax), warning labels only (health and environmental warning labels appeared next to products containing red meat), tax only (prices of products containing red meat were increased 30%) or combined warning labels + tax. Participants selected items to hypothetically purchase, which we categorized into food groups based on the presence of animal- and plant-source ingredients (e.g., beef, eggs, pulses), meat processing level (e.g., processed pork versus unprocessed pork), and meat species (e.g., beef versus pork). We assessed the effects of the warning labels and tax on selections from each food group. RESULTS: Compared to control, all three interventions led participants to select fewer items with processed meat (driven by reductions in processed pork) and (for the tax and warning labels + tax interventions only) fewer items with unprocessed meat (driven by reductions in unprocessed beef). All three interventions also led participants to select more items containing cheese, while only the combined warning labels + tax intervention led participants to select more items containing processed poultry. Except for an increase in selection of pulses in the tax arm, the interventions did not affect selections of fish or seafood (processed or unprocessed), eggs, or plant-based items (pulses, nuts & seeds, tofu, meat mimics, grains & potatoes, vegetables). CONCLUSIONS: Policies to reduce red meat consumption are also likely to affect consumption of other types of foods that are relevant to both health and environmental outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04716010 on www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov .

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BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A health warning label (HWL) cautioning about the link between alcohol and cancer may be able to communicate alcohol risks to consumers and potentially counter health-oriented nutrition advertising on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. This study aimed to examine the independent and combined effects of nutrient content claims (e.g. 0 g sugar) and a HWL on perceived product characteristics and intentions to consume, and whether these effects differed by gender and age. DESIGN: A between-subjects randomized experiment. Participants were randomized to view one of six experimental label conditions: nutrient content claims plus nutrition declaration (NCC + ND), ND only, NCC + ND + HWL, ND + HWL, HWL only and no NCC, ND or HWL, all on a ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka-based soda container. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Alcohol consumers (n = 5063; 52% women) in Canada aged 18-64 recruited through a national online panel. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed ratings of perceived product characteristics, perceived product health risks, and intentions to try, buy, binge and drink the product. FINDINGS: Compared with the reference condition NCC + ND (current policy scenario in Canada), the other five experimental label conditions were associated with lower ratings for perceiving the product as healthy. All experimental conditions with a HWL were associated with lower product appeal, higher risk perceptions and reduced intentions to try, buy and binge. The experimental condition with a HWL only was associated with intentions to consume fewer cans in the next 7 days (ß = -0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.37,-0.08) versus the reference. Few interactions were observed, suggesting that label effects on outcomes were similar by gender and age. CONCLUSIONS: Health warning labels on alcohol packaging appear to be associated with lower product appeal, higher perceived health risks and reduced consumption intentions, even in the presence of nutrient content claims.

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OBJECTIVE: Smokeless tobacco is the preponderant form of tobacco in India. The cessation indicators are weaker for smokeless tobacco users than smokers. There is a dearth of literature on the effectiveness of the interventions that motivate and assist smokeless tobacco users in quitting in program settings. METHODS: Data from Global Adult Tobacco Surveys (GATS), 2016-17, was analysed. Quit attempts in the previous 12 months among SLT users and duration of abstinence were the two outcome variables. The chief exposure variables were the receipts of various interventions that warned about the dangers of smokeless tobacco or encouraged quitting. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify determinants of quit attempts. For the hazard of relapse to tobacco use, survival analysis was used. RESULTS: The odds of quit attempts among SLT users in the previous 12 months were more among those who received advice from healthcare providers (OR 2.09; 1.87-2.34), noticed messages from media that made them think about quitting (OR 1.67; 1.50-1.86) and noticed a warning label that made them think about quitting (OR 1.39; 1.25-1.55). Those who used counselling (HR 0.81; 0.70-0.93) or medication (HR 0.79; 0.66-0.95) sustained abstinence from smokeless tobacco for a longer duration compared to those who did not use any cessation method. CONCLUSION: Quit advice by healthcare providers is an influential determinant of a quit attempt, and this intervention needs to be scaled up. The media messages and warning labels were effective among those who considered quitting after noticing them. Cessation methods can help prolong the abstinence from smokeless tobacco, but the reach of cessation methods is limited.

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INTRODUCTION: The tobacco gift-giving culture in China poses a significant challenge to public health; however, there is limited research on effectively curbing the tobacco gift-giving culture and its associated tobacco gift consumption. This study examines the potential impact of two tobacco control measures that the Chinese government may consider adopting on cigarette gifting behavior in the future in Chinese society. METHODS: This study employed a randomized survey experiment to examine the effects of cigarette price treatment and pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) on cigarette gifting. The total sample size of this study is 1035. Four groups of participants were presented with representative cigarettes categorized into high-, medium-, and low-priced products, along with different prices (normal and double) or external packaging imagery (normal and pictorial HWL versions). RESULTS: The price of cigarettes for personal consumption forms an L-shaped distribution, and the price of cigarette gifts forms a W-shaped distribution. Increasing cigarette prices reduces smokers' willingness to gift high-priced cigarettes but stimulates the consumption of low-price cigarettes as gifts. Pictorial HWLs do not directly influence smokers' intentions to gift cigarettes, but they enhance the effectiveness of price regulation concerning medium-priced cigarette products. CONCLUSIONS: If the price variance of cigarettes is not reduced, the effect of price regulation will be very limited. Implementing combined interventions of pictorial HWLs and price regulation or modifying the pricing structure of tobacco products may yield stronger control outcomes.

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OBJECTIVE: To design front-of-package warning labels for prepackaged food adapted to the Chinese context. METHODS: Delphi method was used to evaluate the first graft of indicatorsof the front-of-package warning labels. The front-of-package warning labels suitable for China's national conditions was selected according to the direct scoring method. RESULTS: 4 sets of front-of-package warning labels for prepackaged food were selected after two rounds of Delphi expert method. CONCLUSION: The final draft of the front-of-package warning labels for prepackaged food is in line with expectations.

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OBJECTIVE: To understand the public's perceptions and preferences on the designed front-of-package warning labels of prepackaged food, and to evaluate and identify the effective warning label. METHODS: A total of 116 participants were recruited from six provinces(autonomous regions/municipalities) in China. Focus group discussions were conducted with four types of warning labels on prepackaged food. And the score of attitude on different warning labels were compared. RESULTS: There was no difference in the total score of the four warning labels. Total score of black shield label was higher in citizen participants and college education level participants than in their respective counterparts(P<0.05). Parents or primary caregiver of children under 16 years old gave higher scores to each labels than their respective counterparts(P<0.05). The black shield label was most likely to attract the attention of the respondents, most likely to influence the decision on eating and drinking, and most likely to have an unhealthy warning effect. The yellow hexagonal label was least likely to attract the attention of the respondents, least likely to affect the decision to eat and drink food, and least likely to have an unhealthy warning effect. CONCLUSION: Black shield warning label is the most effective.

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Meat consumption has been linked to adverse health consequences, worsening climate change, and the risk of pandemics. Meat is however a popular food product and dissuading people from consuming meat has proven difficult. Outside the realm of meat consumption, previous research has shown that pictorial warning labels are effective at curbing tobacco smoking and reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and alcohol. The present research extends this work to hypothetical meat meal selection, using an online decision-making task to test whether people's meal choices can be influenced by pictorial warning labels focused on the health, climate, or pandemic risks associated with consuming meat. Setting quotas for age and gender to approximate a UK nationally representative sample, a total of n = 1001 adult meat consumers (aged 18+) were randomised into one of four experimental groups: health pictorial warning label, climate pictorial warning label, pandemic pictorial warning label, or control (no warning label present). All warning labels reduced the proportion of meat meals selected significantly compared to the control group, with reductions ranging from -7.4% to -10%. There were no statistically significant differences in meat meal selection between the different types of warning labels. We discuss implications for future research, policy, and practice.

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AIMS: To estimate the impact on selection and actual purchasing of (a) health warning labels (text-only and image-and-text) on alcoholic drinks and (b) calorie labels on alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. DESIGN: Parallel-groups randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Drinks were selected in a simulated online supermarket, before being purchased in an actual online supermarket. PARTICIPANTS: Adults in England and Wales who regularly consumed and purchased beer or wine online (n = 651). Six hundred and eight participants completed the study and were included in the primary analysis. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to one of six groups in a between-subjects three [health warning labels (HWLs) (i): image-and-text HWL; (ii) text-only HWL; (iii) no HWL] × 2 (calorie labels: present versus absent) factorial design (n per group 103-113). MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was the number of alcohol units selected (with intention to purchase); secondary outcomes included alcohol units purchased and calories selected and purchased. There was no time limit for selection. For purchasing, participants were directed to purchase their drinks immediately (although they were allowed up to 2 weeks to do so). FINDINGS: There was no evidence of main effects for either (a) HWLs or (b) calorie labels on the number of alcohol units selected (HWLs: F(2,599) = 0.406, P = 0.666; calorie labels: F(1,599) = 0.002, P = 0.961). There was also no evidence of an interaction between HWLs and calorie labels, and no evidence of an overall difference on any secondary outcomes. In pre-specified subgroup analyses comparing the 'calorie label only' group (n = 101) with the 'no label' group (n = 104) there was no evidence that calorie labels reduced the number of calories selected (unadjusted means: 1913 calories versus 2203, P = 0.643). Among the 75% of participants who went on to purchase drinks, those in the 'calorie label only' group (n = 74) purchased fewer calories than those in the 'no label' group (n = 79) (unadjusted means: 1532 versus 2090, P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence that health warning labels reduced the number of alcohol units selected or purchased in an online retail context. There was some evidence suggesting that calorie labels on alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks may reduce calories purchased from both types of drinks.

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OBJECTIVE: The objective was to study the determinants of quit attempts and abstinence among smokers in India using nationally representative data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2). METHODS: Data from GATS-India, (2016-17) was analysed. Key outcome variables included quitting attempts in the previous 12 months among smokers and duration of abstinence among those who attempted quitting. The receipt of messages through mass media, warning labels and quit advice by doctors or healthcare providers were key exposure variables for both outcomes. The use of cessation methods was an exposure variable for abstinence. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify determinants of quit attempt and survival analysis for the duration of abstinence. RESULT: The adjusted analyses showed that those who received quit advice from doctors or healthcare providers had higher odds (2.11; CI 1.88-2.37) of quit attempts. Exposure to anti-smoking messages through media and warning labels was associated with higher quit attempt odds of 1.53 (1.33-1.77) and 1.63 (1.38-1.92), respectively, when the anti-smoking messages made the smokers think about quitting. The use of counselling as a cessation method had a lower risk (Hazard Ratio 0.80; 0.69-0.93) of relapse compared to the non-use of cessation aids. The use of counselling and modern pharmacotherapy also had a lower risk of relapse (Hazard Ratio 0.77; 0.59-0.99). However, only 6.0% had used counselling, and another 2.0% had used a combination of modern pharmacotherapy and counselling as cessation aids. Addiction to tobacco and higher consumption of smoked sticks were negatively associated with both outcomes. CONCLUSION: Quit advice by healthcare providers is associated with a higher likelihood of quit attempts. Counselling can help increase the period of abstinence in pragmatic settings, and there is a need to improve the access of smokers to counselling services.

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BACKGROUND: Little is known about the potential impacts of visible and up-to-date health warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers on a range of outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted an experimental study to test the potential impacts of visible health warning labels (on the principal panel of the package) on thinking about health risks, product attractiveness, visual avoidance, and intention to change alcohol use among students in Mexico aged 18-30 years. METHODS: A double-blind, parallel-group, online randomized trial was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 in 11 states in Mexico. In the control group, participants were presented with the image of a conventional beer can with a fictional design and brand. In the intervention groups, the participants observed pictograms with a red font and white backgrounds (health warning label in red-HWL red) or with a black font and yellow backgrounds (health warning label in yellow-HWL yellow), located at the top, covering around one-third of the beer can. We used Poisson regression models -unadjusted and adjusted for covariates- to assess differences in the outcomes across study groups. RESULTS: Using intention-to-treat analysis (n = 610), we found more participants in groups HWL red and HWL yellow thought about the health risks from drinking beer compared to the control group [Prevalence Ratio (PR) = 1.43, CI95%:1.05,1.93 for HWL red; PR = 1.25, CI95%: 0.91, 1.71 for HWL yellow]. A lower percentage of young adults in the interventions vs control group considered the product attractive (PR 0.74, 95%CI 0.51, 1.06 for HWL red; PR 0.56, 95%CI 0.38, 0.83 for HWL yellow). Although not statistically significant, a lower percentage of participants in the intervention groups considered buying or consuming the product than the control group. Results were similar when models were adjusted for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Visible health warning labels could lead individuals to think about the health risks of alcohol, reducing the attractiveness of the product and decreasing the intention to purchase and consume alcohol. Further studies will be required to determine which pictograms or images and legends are most contextually relevant for the country. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The protocol of this study was retrospectively registered on 03/01/2023: ISRCTN10494244.

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BACKGROUND: Front-of-package warning labels (FOPWL) have been adopted in many countries aiming at reducing the consumption of unhealthy food and drink products and have also been considered in Guatemala. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of FOPWL versus Guidelines for Daily Amount (GDA) on products' healthfulness perception (HP), purchase intention (PI) and the objective understanding of the nutrient content (UNC) in Guatemala. METHODS: Participants (children and adults) (n = 356) were randomly assigned to evaluate either FOPWL or GDA during a crossover cluster randomized experiment in rural and urban areas across 3 phases of exposure. During phase 1, participants evaluated mock-up images of single products (single task) and compared pairs of products within the same food category (comparison task) without any label. In phase 2, participants evaluated labels only (without any product), and during phase 3, they evaluated the same products and questions from phase 1, now depicting the assigned front-of-package label. We generated indicators for single-task questions and scores for comparison tasks, one for each HP, PI and UNC questions. We used intention-to-treat, difference-in-difference regression analysis to test whether exposure to FOPWL was associated with HP, PI and UNC, compared to GDA. We also tested models for children and adults and by area (rural/urban) separately adjusting for sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: In single tasks, FOPWL significantly decreased the PI (ß -18.1, 95%CI -23.3, -12.8; p < 0.001) and the HP (ß -13.2, 95%CI -18.4, -7.9; p < 0.001) of unhealthy food products compared to GDA. In the comparison task, FOPWL significantly increased the UNC (ß 20.4, 95%CI 17.0, 23.9; p < 0.001), improved PI towards healthier choices (OR 4.5, 95%CI 2.9, 7.0 p < 0.001) and HP (OR 5.6, 95%CI 2.8, 11.1; p < 0.001) compared to GDA. Similar results were found in children and adults and in urban and rural settings. CONCLUSIONS: FOPWL reduces products' healthfulness perception and purchase intention, and increases understanding of products' nutrient content compared to GDA.

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Background: Health warnings in tobacco advertisements provide health information while also increasing the perceived risks of tobacco use. However, existing federal laws requiring warnings on advertisements for tobacco products do not specify whether the rules apply to social media promotions. Objective: This study aims to examine the current state of influencer promotions of little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs) on Instagram and the use of health warnings in influencer promotions. Methods: Instagram influencers were identified as those who were tagged by any of the 3 leading LCC brand Instagram pages between 2018 and 2021. Posts from identified influencers, which mentioned one of the three brands were considered LCC influencer promotions. A novel Warning Label Multi-Layer Image Identification computer vision algorithm was developed to measure the presence and properties of health warnings in a sample of 889 influencer posts. Negative binomial regressions were performed to examine the associations of health warning properties with post engagement (number of likes and comments). Results: The Warning Label Multi-Layer Image Identification algorithm was 99.3% accurate in detecting the presence of health warnings. Only 8.2% (n=73) of LCC influencer posts included a health warning. Influencer posts that contained health warnings received fewer likes (incidence rate ratio 0.59, P<.001, 95% CI 0.48-0.71) and fewer comments (incidence rate ratio 0.46, P<.001, 95% CI 0.31-0.67). Conclusions: Health warnings are rarely used by influencers tagged by LCC brands' Instagram accounts. Very few influencer posts met the US Food and Drug Administration's health warning requirement of size and placement for tobacco advertising. The presence of a health warning was associated with lower social media engagement. Our study provides support for the implementation of comparable health warning requirements to social media tobacco promotions. Using an innovative computer vision approach to detect health warning labels in influencer promotions on social media is a novel strategy for monitoring health warning compliance in social media tobacco promotions.

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Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) were introduced to the United States marketplace in 2007 and had dominated all other tobacco products used by youth by 2014. In May 2016, the Food and Drug Administration extended the final rule to include e-cigarettes in implementing text-based health warnings on cigarette packs and advertising, as required by the 2009 Tobacco Control Act. This study tested the hypothesis that youth's perceived harm of using e-cigarettes mediates the impact of seeing warning labels on their use intentions. Methods: We used a cross-sectional quantitative research design to analyze the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey data from 12,563 students in middle schools (grades 6 - 8) and high schools (grades 9 - 12) in the U.S. We conducted the 4-step Baron and Kenny Mediation Analysis using IBM SPSS® Hayes' PROCESS macro analysis. Results: Our study revealed a mediational process's presence, confirming the mediational role of youth's perceived harm of e-cigarettes on the relationship between seeing a warning label and their use intentions. Conclusion: This study provided insights into the relationship between seeing warning labels and the intention to use e-cigarettes among youth. Through the Tobacco Control Act, influential warning labels potentially increase youth's perception of harm in e-cigarettes, lowering their intention to use.

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OBJECTIVE: Classification systems concerning driving-impairing medicines can help healthcare providers identify medicinal drugs with no or the least impairing effects and inform patients of the potential risks of certain medicines to safe driving. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the characteristics of classifications and labeling systems regarding driving-impairing medicines. METHODS: Google Scholar and several databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, safetylit.org, and TRID were searched to identify the relevant published material. The retrieved material was assessed for eligibility. Data extraction was done to compare the categorization/labeling systems concerning driving-impairing medicines in terms of characteristics such as the number of categories, description of each category, and description of pictograms. RESULTS: After screening 5,852 records, 20 studies were selected for inclusion in the review. This review identified 22 categorization/labeling systems regarding medicines and driving. Classification systems had different characteristics, but most of them were designed based on the graded categorization system described by Wolschrijn. Initially, categorization systems had seven levels, but later the medicine impacts were summarized into 3 or 4 levels. CONCLUSIONS: Although different categorization/labeling systems regarding driving-impairing medicines are available, the most effective systems in changing driver's behavior are the simple and understandable ones. Besides, health care providers should consider patient's socio-demographic features when informing them about driving under the influence.

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The warning label is identified as a simple front-of-package labeling format that assists consumers in making healthier food choices at the point of purchase. The color and/or shape of the design elements of the packaging labels can influence the understanding and purchase intention outcomes. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of consumers regarding differently designed warning labels (WLs) to identify a possibly suitable warning label design in the Chinese context. Using a qualitative approach, we collected data through 12 focus group discussions consisting of 116 participants residing in 6 provinces. Participants were selected by purposive sampling. Data were coded following inductive thematic analysis and summarized into three themes: (1) perceived preference for the appearance of the WLs, (2) perceived benefits of the WLs, and (3) suggestions for promoting the WLs. Participants preferred the black shield label showing a high content of the nutrients of concern (e.g., sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat) in both Chinese and English. Consumers generally agreed that the WLs were easy to understand and offered a simple method for choosing healthier foods. They anticipated that WLs could encourage the food industry to reformulate their products. Our study results will support the design and facilitate the use of WLs in China.

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BACKGROUND: Pictorial health warning label (PHWL) is an effective risk communication measure among cigarette smokers. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of PHWL on low- and high-frequency waterpipe (WP) smokers. This study examined the effects of PHWL on puffing behavior, subjective experiences, and toxicant exposures among low- and high-frequency WP smokers in the United States (US). METHODS: Sixty current (past-month) WP smokers (low-frequency; n = 30 and high-frequency; n = 30) completed two 45-min ad libitum WP smoking sessions in a cross-over design study (WP with no-PHWL vs. WP with PHWL). We compared the mean differences of puff topography, expired carbon monoxide (eCO), plasma nicotine concentration, and subjective experiences between the two smoking groups. RESULTS: Mean age of low-frequency smokers was 21.5 years and high-frequency smokers was 21.3 years. Compared to high-frequency, low-frequency smokers had significant reduction in average total smoking time [mean difference (SD) = -7.6 (10.2) min vs. -2.6 (6.7) min, p = 0.03] and number of puffs [mean difference (SD) = -33.37 (70.7) vs. -0.70 (29.2), p = 0.02] following exposure to PHWL compared to no-PHWL condition. Post-session subjective experiences were lower among high-frequency smokers compared to low-frequency smokers following smoking WP with PHWL compared to the no-PHWL session (puff liking -1.2 vs. -0.5; puff satisfaction -1.0 vs. -0.3; craving reduction -0.5 vs. 1.2) (p < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that placing PHWL on the WP device may be a promising strategy with differential effectiveness among WP smokers: low-frequency (reduce puffing behaviors) and high-frequency (reduce smoking experience).

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Background Long-term excessive consuming sugar-sweetened beverages have a negative impact on health. In order to decrease the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and create a healthy food environment, the Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality pioneered to enforce health warning labels presented in commercial locations vending sugar-sweetened beverages based on relevant provisions of the Health Regulations of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone，but its effect has not yet been evaluated. Objective To evaluate the impact of presenting health warning labels in commercial locations vending sugar-sweetened beverages in Shenzhen. Methods A multi-stage stratified sampling method was used to randomly select one street in each of the 10 districts (excluding the Shenzhen Shantou Special Cooperation Zone) of Shenzhen followed by a convenience sampling to select sampling sites to conduct an undercover investigation on the presentation of health warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages in six different types of venues (n=232) such as shopping malls, ordinary supermarkets/convenience stores, self-service vending machines, catering service places, medical institutions, and venues serving minors' education and activities. At the same time, 238 site managers, 1002 adult consumers, and 7396 child and adolescent consumers were interviewed. Results Among 213 commercial locations vending sugar-sweetened beverages, the rate of health warning label installation was 26.3%, with the highest installation rate in shopping malls (55.0%). Among site managers, 47.8% were aware that commercial locations were required to install health warning labels, and 50.0% were aware of the standards for setting up health warning labels. The higher the awareness of relevant regulations, the higher the rate of installation of health warning labels. More than half of site managers (55.3%) believed that after installing health warning labels, the sales of sugar-sweetened beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages in large-volume packages had decreased compared to the same period in previous years. Most of the interviewed consumers indicated that if they saw the health warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages, they would buy less, give up purchasing, or choose low-sugar or sugar-free beverages, and also discourage their family members or friends from drinking such beverages. Compared with participants without awareness of the health warning labels, both adult and child and adolescent consumers with awareness of the health warning labels believed that the installation is beneficial to their good eating habits and reported a higher proportion of discouraging family members or friends from drinking such beverages, with a lower frequency of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages. Conclusion Health warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages have a significant effect on promoting behavior changes, and both site managers and citizens have a high level of support for them. However, in view of the low voluntary compliance rate of commercial locations and the installation rate of health warning labels, the publicity and enforcement of the Health Regulations of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone should be enhanced.