Why is smoking in movies a problem?

An increasing number of films now feature lead characters who smoke. Out of the top ten non-animated movies at the Australian box-office in 2006 , seven contained smoking. When directors portray smoking in the movies, they often use it to signal that a character is cool, rebellious or sophisticated. Research has shown that this is just the sort of message that is most effective in encouraging young people to start smoking, and for many to continue for a lifetime. 

The fact is that smoking is deadly. If you've known someone who suffers from lung cancer or emphysema, you will know that the reality is a world away from the glossy, on-screen images. 

The way smoking is portrayed in movies does not reflect current reality, and amounts to virtual advertising for smoking. 1 in every 2 lead characters smoke compared to 1 in 7 people of similar social background in the general population. Since 1998 smoking has increased by 50% in youth oriented movies, and while in the 1970s and 1980s actors lit a cigarette every 10 to 15 minutes, by the 1990s they lit up every 1 to 3 minutes.

So, seeing smoking in movies

• Encourages young people to think that smoking is more common in society than it actually is
• Increases the number of young people who will try smoking
• Increases the amount that existing young smokers smoke
• Acts as an advertisement for tobacco companies

Find out more about Tobacco promotion