Table 2 Canadian optometrists’ comments on the pictorial health warning label ‘RISK OF BLINDNESS’
Picture - Positive comments | Text - Positive comments |
« I find it quite striking! » [translated from French] | I think the headline is quite clear, which is good. People often don’t read the entire thing. |
«For some, vision is the worst thing you could lose… For others, touching the surface of the eye, particularly with a needle would be truly unpleasant, … So with these 2 points of view, it is a good [warning] label» [translated from French] | … Canadians highly value vision and fear blindness. This may be more effective labeling than previous ones highlighting other diseases and risk of mortality. |
It may be graphic, but it needs to be. | “Warning message is clear” |
Now that’s graphic! If this doesn’t make someone **** their pants over smoking, nothing will. | People have more fear of losing their vision than of lung cancer. So I think that this type of [message] can influence smokers to think about quitting |
Picture - Negative comments | Text - Negative comments |
Image is too graphic. Public will be too overwhelmed and will simply disregard the image and the information. | I don’t like this message. There are many patients that suffer from wet macular degeneration that are non-smokers and have been their entire lives. |
« The needle is not really necessary, a little too shocking. Why so much sensationalism to get a message across… » [translated from French] | « It can discourage and scare people affected by AMD [from seeking treatment] even if they do not smoke. » [translated from French] |
«At a time when there are disgusting images on cigarette pacts, the impact of this photo… seems less shocking. » [translated from French] | «In my opinion… the text is a little long. » [translated from French] |
«The photo doesn’t show a problem with vision or eye health, only surgery which doesn’t demonstrate the seriousness of the situation in my opinion, and few people will read the description beside… We need something more dramatic. » [translated from French] | I feel that it would improve its effectiveness if there was a statistic to reinforce the increased risk of macular degeneration and severe vision loss. |
Picture is too technical, too abstract - difficult to relate to. | It lacks the message that the disease will affect [patients] at a younger age |
Picture - Suggestions | Text - Suggestions |
I believe an eye with a thick cataract visible might be more effective since it actually visually shows the diseased eye. | I hate the word ‘may’. Also, vision loss doesn’t sound as blunt or scary as ‘blindness’ would. The [HWL] should read: Smoking increases your risk of.....permanent blindness. |
Maybe using a picture of what a person with macular degeneration sees compared to a normal person would be more effective and worrisome to the patient. | The wording needs to be more threatening, as teenagers won’t worry about an age related disease. |
I feel like this patient [appears too old], with the wrinkles around the eyes. Smokers will view this as a ‘this happens to old people’ I can just quit later, before this happens to me. It should be more relatable to more demographics. | My feeling is that the Age-related part of ARMD on the label may slightly reduce the effectiveness of the label. The general public may get the impression that it’s more a factor of age instead of smoking.. I think that age-related should be dropped and just written as …risk of macular degeneration |
Remove the blue cloth surrounding the eye and change the colour of the needle | [add that] age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Canada.. |
the image should zoom in another 10–20 %, cropping more from the top and right sides, and focusing more on the eye itself | …add something about not being able to drive, read or see faces of friends/family. |
[the picture] needs to be more graphic | The label could indicate that retinal damage can be reduced with certain lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking. |