February 2008
Graphic Images Deter Smoking
A new survey conducted by the Cancer Institute NSW determined that teenagers thought smoking seemed really unattractive and uncool when they were exposed to the damages it causes. The survey concluded that they were less likely to light up after watching graphic and gruesome images on television. Australians might need to brace themselves for shocking and horrfiic images on the effects tobacco causes. A 2008 study surveyed 400 teenagers ranging from 13 to 17 from New South Wales after watching a foot being amputated due to a gangrene infection caused by smoking. Although these graphics are shocking and gruesome, the results from the survey determine it had a positive response to teenagers' views on smoking.
Verity Firth, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) explains that "watching gruesome images about the consequences of smoking is a small price to pay compared to the damage tobacco causes. Most importantly, nearly 80 per cent of young people said that the most graphic and confronting anti-smoking ad made them less likely to smoke and made smoking seem uncool and very unattractive." With the promotion and glamourisation of tobacco in the film industry, maybe this is the exposure we need our kids to see. This is an effective tool in getting the message to young people that smoking isn't attractive or cool, and it will cause serious damage to their health.
Smoking bad for Wii play
Even games consoles can be affected by smoking! Nintendo in Japan has received a number of complaints about the quality of its Super Smash Bros Brawl. The game is played on a dual-layer DVD drive and is therefore more sensitive to ash deposits building up on its lens. Mario isn't going to be happy about this!
January 2008
Hunting in Hollywood
The film industry is vastly becoming the most sought after channel of recruiting young smokers. A study done by the U.S. National Cancer Institute concludes that adolescents who are exposed to smoking in movies were 2.7 times more likely to light up than those who didn't. The methodology used in the U.S. film industry contributes to tobacco's global epidemic that kills 5 million people per year.
Rather than labeling films that contain tobacco, the authors of the study suggest that the "more practical solution to reduce children's exposure to movie smoking would be to eliminate smoking from youth-rated movies."
The Harvard School of Public Health advised the film industry to "take substantive and effective action to eliminate smoking from films accessible to children and youths, and take leadership and credit for doing so."
July 2007
Disney films to phase out smoking
The Walt Disney Company has clarified its position on smoking in its Disney, Touchstone and Miramax films. "...we expect that depictions of cigarette smoking in future Disney branded films will be non-existent" commented Disney President and CEO Robert Iger. The company will also put an anti-smoking Public Service Announcement (PSA) on DVD's of any future films that contains smoking. Stanton Glantz, a leading US campaigner on the issue is wary that this will have a big impact given that the Disney branded films are primarily G and PG films and generally do not contain smoking.
'Hairspray' gets PG rating in the US for “momentary teenage smoking”
Following a decision by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to use smoking as a criterion for film rating, Hairspray was the first film to be assessed under the new policy. It received a PG rating. US group Smoke Free Movies was angered that it did not receive a higher rating given that the MPAA had previosuly promised all films depicting smoking would automatically receive an R rating.
June 2007
Seeing smoking on screen can increase likelihood of adult smoking
News-Medical.Net, 18 June 2007
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=26497
May 2007
Smoking scenes will influence movie rating
The Motion Picture Association of America will consider smoking alongside sex and violence in its movie ratings system.
The New York Times, 11 May 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/business/media/11smoking.html?
ex=1185508800&en=6d940ffbc8e4a80b&ei=5070
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