Cut this scene! Smoking in Movies is No Way to Act!

Tobacco-free youth groups from 10 communities converged on Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) venues to raise awareness among movie-goers about the direct impact of smoking in youth-rated movies on young people

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• tobacco
• youth
• cancer
• movies
• films
• OTN
• toronto
• ontario
• canada
• cigarettes
• smoking

[foreo]

Why the hell would you make a film an 18 certificate cus it shows someone smoking?? It's this kind of middle America PC crap that is helping to destroy any last vestiges of creativity in cinema once and for all. Cinema has already become bland and homogeneous as mainstream film-makers self-censor their own films in a fight to be awarded a 12a (PG-13 in America) certificate and so not offending anyone! Bog off to Disney World cus you nothing of the real one!

And, by the way, I DON'T SMOKE.

[AndrewOTN]

I am not sure that restricting images of smoking destroys the last vestigages of creativity.

It is pretty clear the movies exercise enormous influence over young people. In the case of smoking this has been well documented. For example the National Cancer Institute.

I don't think director's rights to show what they want to children are more important than doing everything possible to stop young people from taking up a deadly habit.

[AndrewOTN]

There is lots of evidence that youth viewing movies with smoking are more likely to try it. For example, the dartmouth medical school study cited in the video.

Companies pay big bucks for product placements for computers, sunglasses, cars, etc because it works. (i.e. it builds product awareness and leads to short and long-term sales). Why is it so hard to understand that depictions of smoking have a similar effect?

[amayagab]

Why should they cut smoking in movies? Movies show real life situations and ask to relate with the viewer (smoker or not) and if you ban smoking in movies it isn't realistic and it is pure commie cencorship for something only 1 groupe of people disagree with. I have a hard time picturing an awesome Tarantino movie where all the murderers, theives and psychos are all chewing gum.

[cooker283]

There is NOTHING wrong with Smoking in movies. Banning Smoking in movies would be like banning

Violence in films- because it promotes Violence.

[healthhaterxx]

it is just as stupid to think that gun companies are responsible for media violence as it is to think that Phillip Morris shells out for every smoking scene. A lot of stupid people do think companies do make violence and sex,

and replace one corrupt generation with another to sell exploitative art.

these people are the

exact same Utopian fascists as the anti smokers. We should really let them tell us what is essential to a story.

[Lithys]

I was a tobacco free youth... now i smoke cigars when i go fishing.

[TVACdotCA]

Stop film producers from accepting bribes from Tobacco companies who profit from, and promote, a cancer-causing product!

Great action - wonderful to see youth challenging the Tobacco industry's targeting of youth through movies and popular culture.

[foreo]

So would you ban showing children eating sweets or fatty foods as well. How about banning adds, product placement, and sponsorship by American fast food chains and Pepsi and Coke?? Then your arguement would make a little more sense!

These people are calling for an 18 certificate for a film showing someone smoking which is totally unreasonable. Film is already crippled by censorship. Leave the decision making to the parents and stop dictating to the rest of the FREE world how to live their lives

[NilisticMystic]

i dont smoke but ffs people in real life smoke kids dont need to see a movie to see smoking they step outside and see it everyday just give smokers a break and i hate how if i say i dont smoke they associate me with these igiots

[thedannyclayton]

No cooker you dipshit...companies don't make violence and don't need to sell it to young kids. Big Tobacco makes cigs and needs young people to smoke to replace the dead one. Also in films they usually show smoking for only 2/3 minutes which means it isn't integral to the plot and is blatantly just an advert.

1 billion people will die from smoking this century if the current trends continue and it is your ignorance that continues this horrific death toll.