Ask the Government to amend the Public Health Act!

The Cancer Council NSW wants the NSW Government to protect young people from the harm caused by smoking images in movies, by requiring the screening of a strong anti-smoking ad in front of every youth targeted movie containing smoking that is shown in NSW cinemas.

The Government could do this by amending the NSW Public Health Act 1991 to require film distributors to attach an approved anti-smoking ad to the movie before it is distributed to cinemas.

The Public Health Act is the Act which prohibits the screening of tobacco ads in NSW cinemas. A simple amendment to Section 61B(3) requiring counter advertising before movies which contain smoking scenes would help protect young people from the promotional effect of these images.

The cost of screening the ads would be absorbed into the arrangements between cinemas and distributors. They would NOT be paid for by the Government.

Contact Verity Firth, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer): office@firth.minister.nsw.gov.au

and/or Reba Meagher, Minister for Health: reba.office@meagher.minister.nsw.gov.au

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