Color markings and other inscriptions on packets of cigarettes, suggesting that the tobacco product is less harmful than others are misleading, revealed study in a University of Nottingham.

"Cigarettes marked in bright colors and painted silver or gold are less harmful, contain less tar and thus would have been easier to give up", was sure majority of the 1300 testers. "This proved to be a false assessment. The truth is that all cigarettes are equally dangerous, no difference on what color the box is or what says on it," says Professor David Hammond, University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

Researchers gathered 800 adult smokers and 500 teens from Great Britain and showed them two packs of cigarettes of different colors and requested that they compare them. Which one they prefer, regarding of taste, tar and nicotine levels, estimated health risks (viewed from representing labels)… They also asked them what they think - which would be easier to give up smoking, and which pack would be more attractive for first time smokers?

Gold is less harmful than red?

More than half of adults and adolescents was convinced that from the eight brands they were shown, those with "smooth" label on them are less harmful than conventional varieties. 53% of adults felt that Marlboro cigarettes in gold or silver containers represent less risk to health. 31% claimed it would be easier to give up smoking if they smoke these "light" Marlboro cigarettes, and not ones with a red logo.

Since 2002 the EU banned (and US is still considering) the use of the logo, text or any other markings that would indicate that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than another. Signs that are prohibited are: "low-tar", "light" and "mild". But "Tobacco Lobby is taking a different sales tactics and strategies that give consumers a false assurances simply do not exist," argues David Hammond yet.

As BBC reported in mid September, there is more and more frequent opinion among British, that cigarette makers should be required to have an uniform color and packaging for all cigarettes. But Tobacco industry representatives argue that this would be contrary to the provisions on mandatory consumer information about the product…