a parent's guide to smoking, movies & children's health
TRANSCRIPT
Screen Out!
A parent’s guide tosmoking, movies &children’s health
THIS PROJECT ENDORSED BY
A project of the Smokefree Movies Action Network
Alfie (Cigarette) WhatWhat’’s it all about?s it all about?
Alfie (R)
What…this?
What’s it allabout?
87%87% of R-rated movies show tobacco of R-rated movies show tobacco
75%75% of PG-13 movies of PG-13 movies……
40%40% of G and PG movies of G and PG movies……
MostMost movies your kids see movies your kids see,, especially especially
your older kidsyour older kids……
Over and over againOver and over again
WhatWhat’’s it s it reallyreally all about? all about?
Charlie’s Angels… How many timesHow many timeshave your kids seenhave your kids seen……
Charlie’s Angels (PG-13)
Chicago…
Chicago (PG-13)
Starsky…
Starsky & Hutch (PG-13)
Men in Black 2…
Men in Black 2 (PG-13)
Men in Black 2(Dog)…
Men in Black 2 (again)
Mona LisaSmile…
Mona Lisa Smile (PG-13)
Mona Lisa Smile(Winstons)…
Mona Lisa Smile (again)
School of Rock…
School of Rock (PG-13)
Uptown Girls(American Spirit)…
Uptown Girls (PG-13)
X-Men 2…
X-Men 2 (PG-13)
X-Men 2(Cigar)…
X-Men 2 (again)
Alfie (Stunts)
I domy ownstunts.
What’s wrongwith smoking?
Still theStill the #1 #1 killerkiller
Tobacco killsTobacco kills 438,000 438,000 AmericansAmericans a yeara year
Heart Heart disease,disease, lung lung disease,disease, cancer cancer
80-90%80-90% of smokers start in their teens of smokers start in their teens
WhatWhat’’s wrong with smoking?s wrong with smoking?
Youth numbers
3,9003,900 kids tried their first cigarette today kids tried their first cigarette today
2,0002,000 others became addicted today others became addicted today
Girls 12-17Girls 12-17 are likelier to are likelier to smoke smoke thanthan
boys.boys.
One in 8 middle school studentsOne in 8 middle school students and and
more than more than 1 in 4 high school kids1 in 4 high school kids use use
tobaccotobacco
AverageAverage age at first cigarette: age at first cigarette: 1515
How many kids smoke?How many kids smoke?
Starting years
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
When do smokers start?When do smokers start?
GRADEGRADE
1212GRADEGRADE
66
Smoking shift (R-rated)… Smoking in movies is shiftingSmoking in movies is shifting……
45%45%G / PG / PG-13G / PG / PG-13
55%55%R-ratedR-rated
[ Smoking exposure in 1999 ][ Smoking exposure in 1999 ]
Smoking shift(Youth-rated) ……from R-rated to kid-rated.from R-rated to kid-rated.
55%55%
G / PG / PG-13G / PG / PG-13
45%45%
R-ratedR-rated
[ Smoking exposure in 2004 ][ Smoking exposure in 2004 ]
Alfie (Prove it) Are movies recruitingAre movies recruitingour kids to smoke?our kids to smoke?
Okay,prove it…
Research design
Asked more thanAsked more than 2,000 10-12 2,000 10-12year oldsyear olds who had never smokedwho had never smoked……
About allAbout all personal, family and personal, family andsocial factors social factors known to predictknown to predictsmoking.smoking.
Two years later, asked same kids,Two years later, asked same kids,now 12-14,now 12-14, what movies what movies they hadthey hadseenseen ANDAND……
If they had triedIf they had tried smoking. smoking.
What researchers did:What researchers did:
Key results
Kids who saw the most smokingKids who saw the most smokingscenes were almost scenes were almost three times three timesmore likely to have tried smoking.more likely to have tried smoking.
NonsmokersNonsmokers’’ kids were almost kids were almostfour times four times more likely to have triedmore likely to have triedsmoking.smoking.
Exposure to movie smoking Exposure to movie smoking waswasa primary cause fora primary cause for 52%52% of of newnewsmokers.smokers.
Three stunning resultsThree stunning results
Alfie (Hop) WhatWhat’’s the most powerfuls the most powerfulthing parents can do?thing parents can do?
Hop inthe back?
Four principles
Stop the problem Stop the problem at the source.at the source.
Cut kidsCut kids’’ exposure to exposure to moviemovie
smokingsmoking substantiallysubstantially……
PermanentlyPermanently……
Without censoring Without censoring films.films.
Four principlesFour principles
Four goals
Producers certify Producers certify no tobacco pay-no tobacco pay-offsoffs in closing credits and on file. in closing credits and on file.
Theaters run Theaters run strong anti-tobaccostrong anti-tobaccospots spots before ANY film with tobaccobefore ANY film with tobaccoimages.images.
Directors Directors stop displaying tobaccostop displaying tobaccobrands.brands.
Hollywood rates future tobaccoHollywood rates future tobaccoscenes scenes ““RR””
Four policy goalsFour policy goals
About the “R”
Movie industryMovie industry runs the rating system. runs the rating system.
Studios Studios routinelyroutinely shoot for certain ratings. shoot for certain ratings.
Filmmakers Filmmakers ““tunetune”” sex, violence, language. sex, violence, language.
Simply adds smoking to the ratings.Simply adds smoking to the ratings.
Is the R-ratingIs the R-ratingcensorship?censorship?
Policy results
Experts estimate that moviesExperts estimate that moviesinfluence influence 390,000 390,000 teens teens to startto startsmoking each yearsmoking each year……
Resulting in a projected Resulting in a projected 120,000120,000deaths.deaths.
When When R-rating R-rating clears smoking outclears smoking outof of youth-rated youth-rated movies, itmovies, it shouldshouldcut kidscut kids’’ exposure AND exposure AND smokingsmokinginitiationinitiation in half in half……
Saving Saving as many as 60as many as 60,000 lives a year.,000 lives a year.
Simple Simple solutions,solutions,bigbig results results
60,000 means…
MORE than all U.S. deaths fromMORE than all U.S. deaths from……
Violent crimeViolent crime…… 1616,,100100
HIV/AIDSHIV/AIDS…… 1313,,700700
Drunk drivingDrunk driving…… 16,70016,700__________________________________________________COMBINEDCOMBINED 4646,,500500
Sixty thousand lives aSixty thousand lives ayearyear……is how many?is how many?
Endorsed by
American Academy of PediatricsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
American Medical AssociationAmerican Medical Association
World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization
National PTANational PTA
American Heart AssociationAmerican Heart Association
American Lung AssociationAmerican Lung Association
L.A. County Dept. of Health ServicesL.A. County Dept. of Health Services
Campaign for Tobacco-Free KidsCampaign for Tobacco-Free Kids……and moreand more
R-rating smoking inR-rating smoking infuture films is endorsed byfuture films is endorsed by……
Placement? Everybody asksEverybody asksabout product placementabout product placement
Tobacco industry invested Tobacco industry invested millions of dollarsmillions of dollars
to put smoking on screento put smoking on screen
Barred by legal agreement in 1998Barred by legal agreement in 1998
On-screen smoking only increased after thatOn-screen smoking only increased after that
Parent checklist
Limit your kidsLimit your kids’’ viewing viewingof R-rated moviesof R-rated movies..
Get smoking out ofGet smoking out ofmovies rated G, PGmovies rated G, PGandand——most most importantlyimportantly——PG-13.PG-13.
Two things you can doTwo things you can doNOWNOW
Parent results Parents can stop bothParents can stop bothsourcessources
Limiting your kids’ viewing of R-rated
films will stop
45%of their exposure.
Getting tobaccoout of kid-rated
movies willstop
55%of their
exposure.
Alfie (best shot) Hollywood listens toHollywood listens toparents!parents!
Take yourbest shot.
Studio “parents”
Three Hollywood studiosThree Hollywood studios make make 60%60% of ofall movies with smoking. Who are theirall movies with smoking. Who are theircorporate parentscorporate parents??
Parent-to-Parent-to-““parentparent””campaigncampaign
Disney
Parent-to-Parent-to-““parentparent””
Bob Iger, CEOBob Iger, CEOThe Disney CompanyThe Disney Company
Time Warner
Parent-to-Parent-to-““parentparent””
Richard D. Parsons, CEORichard D. Parsons, CEOTime WarnerTime Warner
Sony
Parent-to-Parent-to-““parentparent””
HowardHoward Stringer, CEO Stringer, CEOSony CorporationSony Corporation
Three Execs These three men can helpThese three men can helpsave 60,000 lives a yearsave 60,000 lives a year
Bob Iger,Dick
Parsons,HowardStringer
RATINGRATINGSYSTEMSYSTEM
“PARENT”COMPANIES
MOTION PICTUREASSOCIATION OFAMERICA (MPAA)
MPAA Copy your letter Copy your letter to theto theheadhead of the MPAA, too of the MPAA, too
RATINGRATINGSYSTEMSYSTEM
MOTIONPICTUREASSOCIATIONOF AMERICA(MPAA)DanDan
Glickman,Glickman,PresidentPresident
Theater Action Working as a group?Working as a group?Add a Theater Action!Add a Theater Action!
FOURFOURPOLICYPOLICYGOALSGOALS
LOCALTHEATER
THEATERCHAIN
NATIONALASSOCIATIONOF THEATRE
OWNERS(NATO)
WRITE ONE LETTER TO AA LOCAL THEATER, THENCOPY IT TO THE CHAIN HQAND THE THEATERS’ TRADEASSOCIATION: NATO.
Write now…
Write now!Write now!
Dear Mr. Iger, I’m a mother of twoyoung children. And I’mdeeply concerned about what yourcompany’s movies are teachingthem about smoking. The researchsays that 75% of PG-13 moviesshow smoking. That’s outrageous.Tell your studios to stop making…
Then copy…
Then copy!Then copy!
movies with smoking.This is your chance tohelp save thousandsof lives. Why don’t you do it? Sincerely…
cc: Mr. Dick Parsons, Time Warner Mr. Howard Stringer, Sony Mr. Dan Glickman, MPAA
Theater copy… When you writeWhen you writeto theatersto theaters……
…tell the studios how upsetwe are about smoking in kid-rated movies. Rate it “R”! Sincerely…
cc: Theater Chain CEO Mr. John Fithian, National Association
of Theatre Owners
Resources
Examples of Examples of lettersletters……
Short article Short article for newsletters andfor newsletters and
local newspaperslocal newspapers……
HandoutsHandouts and and print adsprint ads……
Model Model press releasespress releases……
And more!And more!
Launch your ownLaunch your owncampaigncampaign
All about… Show your parent power!Show your parent power!
Alfie butts…
The End