Health Care & Prescription Drugs News

Denver–Despite a 1998 multi-state tobacco settlement banning tobacco companies from marketing directed toward children and banning payments to place tobacco products in films, tobacco use in the most popular youth-oriented movies has increased by 50 percent, according to Tobacco At The Movies, a new CoPIRG report released today. CoPIRG called on the Motion Picture Association of America to not allow smoking in PG-13 movies and for the Colorado State Legislature to continue the funding of the tobacco education programs.

Tobacco at the Movies highlights the health risks to children, who are susceptible to the subtle message sent by famous actors and actresses using tobacco on the big screen. "More smoking in movies means more children will puff away their health and their lives," said CoPIRG’s Consumer Advocate Rex Wilmouth. "The Marlboro Man and Joe Camel have no place in our children’s movies. It’s time for Hollywood to stop giving them roles."

CoPIRG researchers examined the top grossing PG-13 movies from the two years before the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (1996 and 1997) and the two years after (1999 and 2000). The average amount of time that tobacco products were in use or on screen increased from 53 seconds to 81 seconds. Some of the worst post-MSA offenders included "Wild Wild West" (4 minutes and 20 seconds), and "The Perfect Storm" (7 minutes and 6 seconds).

"This PIRG study is more evidence that despite Big Tobacco's 1989 'voluntary' ban on tobacco product placements and pay-offs in movies, Hollywood is still a powerful channel for promoting the lethal addiction that kills five million people worldwide each year—smokers and non-smokers alike," said Professor Stan Glantz of the University of California Medical School. "Hollywood should immediately take four steps: certify in each movie that they aren't taking payoffs, run anti-tobacco ads before any smoking movies, eliminate brand identification, and not allow smoking in PG-13 movies."

In 2001, Professor Glantz, the author of the books Tobacco WarsThe Cigarette Papers, launched a Smokefree Movies campaign to get tobacco out of the movies. CoPIRG previewed the latest ad in Professor Glantz’s campaign, which incorporates findings from the CoPIRG report and will run in Daily Variety tomorrow.

CoPIRG, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and Colorado Tobacco Education and Prevention Alliance urged state attorneys general to fully enforce the terms of the tobacco settlement and called for a full Congressional investigation of links between Hollywood and tobacco companies to determine if tobacco companies are still funding Hollywood in exchange for tobacco product placements, despite the terms of the settlement.

CoPIRG’s report release comes at a time when many states are citing budget crises as an excuse to cut tobacco control budgets. CoPIRG decried this practice, saying it hurts the states’ taxpayers in the long run because it will increase costs associated with illness from tobacco use. "Spending money to ensure that our youth are educated on the danger of tobacco use is critically important. Coloradoans must remain vigilant in their efforts to counteract the youth smoking epidemic. This means that we need to continue to emphasize tobacco education, prevention and cessation programs. We must continue to provide funding for our comprehensive tobacco control programs and, in the process, keep our commitment to Colorado's youth," said Mary Babcock, PTA member.

"Tobacco kills more than 435,000 Americans each year, including 50,000 non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. Tobacco illnesses cost Americans $75 billion each year. Hollywood should stop marketing to kids," said Dr. Karyl VanBenthuysen, member of the American Heart Association.

CoPIRG is a statewide non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy group. CoPIRG’s website is http://www.copirg.org.