Warning labels have lost their effectiveness due to their excessive use and widespread presence, rendering them ineffective in informing consumers about potential product risks.
According to W. Kip Viscusi, a distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University, warning labels were uncommon until the 1960s when cigarettes started featuring warning labels. Since then, numerous other products have followed suit, attempting to replicate the impact of the cigarette warning label.
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Warning labels typically serve two purposes: discouraging consumers from purchasing a product through labels like “This product can cause mouth cancer” on cigarette packages, and cautioning against incorrect product use with instructions like “To prevent this furniture from tipping over, it must be permanently fixed to the wall.”
One of the concerns raised by researchers is the overexposure of warning labels, leading to desensitization among consumers.
Viscusi highlights two criteria for effective warning labels: providing new and credible information to consumers. A warning is deemed credible when companies make statements against their financial interests.
A recent development in warning label regulations involves a federal judge ruling against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s requirement for graphic warning labels on cigarettes.
Consumer protection advocates suggest that warning labels should be the last line of defense when ensuring product safety.
“In general, warning labels by themselves are not effective,” states Oriene Shin, a policy counsel at Consumer Reports. “They should be complemented with safe design.”
This is where the safety hierarchy of product design comes into play. The process aims to eliminate or minimize risks to consumers through safeguards. For instance, a lawnmower may require the user to pull a lever and press a button to start, rather than just one of those actions.
Warning labels represent the final tier in the safety hierarchy.
“I encounter hundreds of warning labels each week, and I probably can’t recall any of them,” notes Shin. “This reliance on warning labels is problematic. They should be seen as the icing on the cake, not the ultimate solution.”
Watch the video above to gain further insights into the ineffectiveness of warning labels and potential solutions.
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