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Graphic health warnings on cigarette packages, such as those that depict rotting teeth, diseased mouths and throat cancer, are losing their impact as smokers become increasingly desensitized to them, according to the results of an international study.

Experts say the findings highlight a need for governments to introduce more “variety” and “novelty” in their messaging if they want to encourage smokers to break the habit.

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Canada, for instance, has been using the same set of 16 health warnings on cigarette packages since 2012, said Ron Cunningham, policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society.

“That’s too long,” Cunningham said. “Package health warnings are effective, but the messages have to be refreshed. If they’re not, they become stale.”

Photo by Handout/Canadian Cancer Society

A research team at James Cook University in Australia carried out an online survey of nearly 700 adult smokers in four countries — Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The results were recently published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases.