Children & Teens Slated to Get a Lesson in Smoking

...via Hollywood Blockbusters this Summer

This week a celebratory cheer can be heard ringing out across Waterloo Region as schools officially close their doors and children and teens hang up their book bags. Each summer children and teens flock to movie theatres to take in some of the best films of year, but what many parents may not be aware of is that their children are viewing a lot more than 3D action and special effects.

Smoking in movies is a serious public health issue as internationally endorsed and supported research indicates that the more youth see smoking in movies the more likely they are to start smoking. In fact, the Tobacco Vector Report, released in July 2010 by Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, estimates that smoking in the movies accounts for 44 per cent of youth smoking initiation.

“Children and teens watch more movies than any other audience group and the summer break is a prime time for movie watching” said Sandy Keller, Public Health Planner, Regionof Waterloo Public Health. “We need to protect children and teens from smoking and tobacco use in movies by ensuring all future movies rated for children and teens in Ontario are tobacco-free”.

The smoking issue is not isolated to summer blockbusters. In 2011, 85 per cent of all top-grossing movies featuring tobacco were rated for children and teen audiences in the province (G, PG, 14A) by the Ontario Film Review Board.

Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the province, killing 36 people every day. To help prevent today’s children and teens from becoming a new generation of smokers, all future movies rated for children and teen audiences in Ontario need to be tobacco free.

Information about which films released in theatres and on DVD/Blue-ray contain smoking scenes, can be found at www.facebook.com/hookedbyhollywood.

For more information and access to tools to help parents and other Ontarians voice their concerns about smoking and tobacco use in children and teen-rated films, visit www.smokefreemovies.ca.

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Media contact: Sandy Keller, Public Health Planner, 519-740-5793, ext. 3498