Cigarette pack warnings that remind smokers of the fatal consequences of their habit may actually make them smoke more as a way to cope with the inevitability of death, according to researchers.

    A small study by psychologists from the United States, Switzerland and Germany showed that warnings unrelated to death, such as "smoking makes you unattractive" or "smoking brings you and the people around you severe damage," were more effective in changing smokers' attitudes toward their habit.

    This was especially the case in people who smoked to boost their self-esteem, such as youth who took up the habit to impress or fit in with their peers and others who thought smoking increased their social value, the researchers said.

    "In general, when smokers are faced with death-related anti-smoking messages on cigarette packs, they produce active coping attempts as reflected in their willingness to continue the risky smoking behavior," the study said.

    "To succeed with anti-smoking messages on cigarette packs one has to take into account that considering their death may make people smoke."

    The study was based on 39 psychology students, aged between 17 and 41, who said they were smokers.

    Participants filled in a questionnaire to determine how much their smoking was based on self-esteem, were then shown cigarette packs with different warnings on them, and then after a 15-minute delay, the students were asked more questions about their smoking behavior that included if they intended to quit.

    "On the one hand, death-related warnings were not effective and even ironically caused more positive smoking attitudes among smokers who based their self-esteem on smoking," the study said.

    "On the other hand, warning messages that were unrelated to death effectively reduced smoking attitudes the more recipients based their self-esteem on smoking."

    The researchers said this finding can be explained by the fact that warnings such as "smoking makes you unattractive" may be particularly threatening to people who believe that smoking makes them feel valued by others or boosts their self-image.

    The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

    研究人员日前称，香烟包装上提醒吸烟危害生命的警示信息其实会让烟民吸得更多，因为死亡在所难免。

    来自美国、瑞士和德国的心理学家开展的一项小规模研究表明，一些不触及死亡字眼的警示语，如"吸烟让人失去魅力"或"吸烟给你和周围的人带来严重伤害"等对改变烟民在吸烟问题上的态度更为有效。

    研究人员称，这在借助吸烟来提升自尊的人群中尤为明显。例如，有些年轻人吸烟是为了引人注意，或者使自己更合群，还有些人认为吸烟可以提升自身的社会价值。

    研究称："总体来看，当烟民看到香烟包装上的触及死亡的警示信息时，他们反而会采取积极的应对举动，具体表现为继续这种危险行为。"

    "要使香烟包装的警示信息起作用，必须意识到，让烟民想到死亡的信息反而会促使他们吸得更凶。"

    该研究共对39位年龄在17岁至41岁之间的心理系学生进行了调查，受访者均自称为烟民。

    研究人员让受访者填写调查问卷，以确定他们的吸烟行为在多大程度上是为了增强自尊。研究人员随后向他们展示了贴有不同警示的香烟包装，并在15分钟后询问他们更多有关吸烟行为的问题，包括他们是否打算戒烟。

    研究称："一方面，危害生命的警示没什么效果，而且讽刺的是，它甚至让那些为自尊而吸烟的烟民对吸烟的态度更为积极了。"

    "另一方面，不触及死亡的警示却能有效地减轻吸烟欲望，因为更多烟民吸烟是为了提升自尊。"

    研究人员表示，类似"吸烟让人失去魅力"这样的警示对那些认为吸烟让自己感觉受到重视，或提升自我形象的烟民来说尤其具有威胁性，这可以用来解释上述研究成果。

    该研究在《实验社会心理学》期刊上发表。