Role of Media in Promoting Smoking & Tobacco Use

A new 685 page report from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) backs the claim that smoking in movies influences children to smoke. The report is called “The role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tabacco Use”.

The NCI found that tabacco advertising and marketing is causally linked to increased tobacco use. It also states that smoking depicted in films and movies are causally related to smoking initiation among youth. There are very few movies out there where smoking isn’t shown as a normal part of life. Smoking is done so casually on TV and movie programs that it simply seems like something anyone would normally do. This is most likely old news for most people, but the rate in which smoking scenes are appearing in movies may catch you slightly off guard.

The report states that smoking is “pervasive in movies, occurring in three-quarters or more of contemporary box office hits.” Also “identifiable cigarette brands appear in about one-third of movies.” The NCI has obvious concerns as tabacco and smoking has been so closely linked with lung cancer.

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) which involves six major movie studios is considering putting anti-smoking announcements on DVDs that have scenes with smoking.

The report can be downloaded here.
Role of Media in Promoting Smoking & Tabacco Use

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