Hollywood's Hidden Dangers: The Impact of Tobacco Imagery in Youth-Rated Films

Los Angeles-based health advocates are launching a summer campaign to expose the tobacco imagery prevalent in G, PG, and PG-13 films, warning that such exposure can lead to a lifelong habit of smoking, particularly among teenagers. The campaign, dubbed the Movie Smoking Scorecard, targets major studios, including Paramount, Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal, and Warner Bros. Data suggests that PG-13 films account for two out of every three tobacco impressions delivered to audiences of all ages, with one-third to one half of all new smoking by teens attributed to smoking in movies.

Key Takeaways:

20th Century Fox's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" has more than $163 million in U.S. box office revenue and features the main star, Hugh Jackman, smoking a cigar in numerous scenes.
Sony Pictures' "Angels & Demons" includes tobacco imagery and has grossed nearly $82 million in the U.S.
Research indicates that PG-13 films deliver two out of every three tobacco impressions to audiences of all ages.
Exposure to tobacco imagery predicts established smoking behavior in adolescents, with one-third to one half of all new smoking by teens attributed to smoking in movies.
The National Cancer Institute's 2008 monograph concluded that movies with smoking cause children to smoke.
Health professionals, parents, and youth alike recognize the promotion of tobacco in movies as a significant issue.
Elizabeth Nguyen, a 16-year-old, posted a video on the campaign's Facebook page describing how a boy at the theater imitated the character Wolverine by fake smoking a cigar.
The AMA Alliance proposes giving an R rating to films with irresponsible or gratuitous tobacco images, a solution previously advocated by the Alliance's Screen Out! campaign.
Youth can participate in the campaign by uploading videos to their Facebook page and signing a petition.
The MPAA has agreed to factor tobacco imagery into their ratings, but health groups have seen no consistent or effective change.

Statistics:

PG-13 films deliver two out of every three tobacco impressions to audiences of all ages.
Exposure to tobacco imagery predicts established smoking behavior in adolescents.
One-third to one half of all new smoking by teens is attributed to smoking in movies.
20th Century Fox's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" has grossed more than $163 million in the U.S.
Sony Pictures' "Angels & Demons" has grossed nearly $82 million in the U.S.
The National Cancer Institute released a monograph in 2008 concluding that movies with smoking cause children to smoke.

Sources:

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
American Medical Association (AMA) Alliance
California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN)
Marketwire