Hollywood's Response

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Smoking in the Movies

Smoking in youth-rated films has a powerful impact on youth smoking initiation, influencing 200,000 children and adolescents to take up smoking each year. 

Since 80% of smokers start before the age of 18, it is critical to provide comprehensive prevention measures for youth. Reducing or eliminating youth’s exposure to on-screen smoking behavior helps to debunk the notion that smoking is “normal” or “cool.” This intervention can save youth from a lifelong and deadly addiction.

A National Cancer Institute report has confirmed that exposure to smoking in the movies promotes adolescent smoking initiation.  Other studies have found that seeing smoking in the movies is a catalyst for between one-third and one-half of adolescents starting to smoke.^[1][2]

Legacy endorses the four Smoke-Free Movie Principles to address the negative impact of youth’s exposure to on-screen smoking. 

1. Require strong anti-tobacco ads that are evidence-based and proven effective to run before any film with any tobacco presence, regardless of its rating.
2. Stop brand identification in movies through the depiction of identifiable packs of cigarettes, billboards, or other forms of tobacco brand identification.
3. Certify no pay-offs through a statement in the movie credits that nobody on the production received anything of value in exchange for using or displaying tobacco.
4. Rate all new movies with smoking “R”, unless the movie clearly and unambiguously reflects the dangers and consequences of smoking or if it accurately depicts the behavior of an actual, historical figure.

Thanks to Members of Congress leadership coupled with, public health advocates' efforts, movie studios and their parent media companies have begun to implement policies to address this issue.

In May 2007, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) announced a new ratings clarification to consider smoking as a factor when it rates movies, and a few studios have taken important first steps in adopting policies to reduce the harmful effects of on screen smoking.  While Hollywood has taken some steps toward progress, many critical  steps remain. In the meantime, youth continue to be exposed to billions of tobacco impressions each year through movies including PG and PG-13 films.

The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, the most recognized global family entertainment company, stated to Congress that it expected "depictions of cigarette smoking in future Disney-branded films will be non-existent." The company published a statement detailing a commitment to this issue in its 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report.

Disney has also inserted anti-smoking PSAs from Legacy's truth® and EX® campaigns on DVDs.

The Weinstein Company
In 2006, former Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran and 34 other Attorneys General requested that the MPAA and major studios show the foundation’s truth® youth smoking prevention PSAs before DVDs where images of smoking would be seen by youth. The Weinstein Company was the first company to voluntarily agree to insert PSAs from the truth® campaign onto its DVDs.

Warner Bros. (A Time Warner company)
Working with the state Attorneys General, Waner Bros. is the first studio to inset a certification of no-tobacco payoffs for the inclusion of smoking in its movies.  It has also agreed to place truth® anti-smoking PSAs in DVDs.

ScreenOut! Guide:

The national Smoke Free Movies movement includes a grassroots campaign raising awareness on this major public health challenge. The ScreenOut! Guide, provides the tools and strategies they need to make a difference. This step-by-step guide includse:

• Letter-writing campaigns to movies studios.
• Petitions to keep smoking out of movies.
• Advocacy opportunities directed toward Holywood's decision makers.

For more information about Screenout!, please visit http://www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu.

Contact:

If your organization is interested in participating in activities related to Smoke Free Movies, please email Caroline Joyce.