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Tobacco in the Movies

Tobacco in the Movies. Product placement generally. It can boost sales dramatically It costs less than traditional advertising Its impact continues as long as the movie is seen It can defray the enormous cost of producing a movie. Concerns about tobacco product placement.

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Tobacco in the Movies

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  1. Tobacco in the Movies

  2. Product placement generally • It can boost sales dramatically • It costs less than traditional advertising • Its impact continues as long as the movie is seen • It can defray the enormous cost of producing a movie

  3. Concerns about tobacco product placement 1. Health effects and addictive nature of smoking 2. Youth smoking is increasing * 3. Smoking in movies is widespread and increasing • 1997: 80% of male leads smoked • May 2002-May 2003: 73% of top 10 films contained tobacco

  4. 4. >half of total exposure to smoking in movies is in youth-rated films • G, PG, and PG-13 • May, 2002-2003 study found 82% of top grossing PG-13 films contained tobacco • Compared to 76% of R rated films

  5. 5. Smoking in television ads for movies is widespread • December 2001-August 2002: • 10 movies in theatres had brand presence in movie and smoking in trailer • Television advertisements for these 10 movies • reached 93% of all 12 to 17 year-olds in the U.S. • 137 million impressions • 81% of all 12-17 year-olds saw at least one trailer three or more times

  6. 6. Evidence of strong link between portrayal of smoking in movies and teen smoking

  7. History of tobacco placement • 1987--License to Kill—Lark cigarettes • $350,000 for Bond character to smoke Lark and use exploding Lark package • 1984—Beverly Hills Cop—American Tobacco Company • Supplied $25,000 in Lucky Strikes and Pall Malls for scene where Eddie Murphy poses as cigarette smuggler • 1983—Stallone movies—Brown & Williamson • Paid $500,000 to incorporate the company’s products into five Stallone films, including Rhinestone Cowboy, Rambo, Rocky IV

  8. The voluntary ban • Legislation introduced prohibiting placement of tobacco products in movies • Congress asked FTC to review tobacco product placement practices • FTC ordered leading tobacco companies to file annual reports on sales and advertising expenditures • Tobacco Institute announced voluntary ban by all major tobacco companies on paid product placement in movies

  9. The tobacco settlement • 1998 Master Settlement banned payments (direct or indirect) for tobacco product placement in motion pictures

  10. Loopholes in the bans • Neither applies to unpaid placement • Neither applies to use of free samples • Neither applies to films made outside U.S. • Neither would prohibit third party (e.g., the Tobacco Institute) from paying to show smoking that did not identify specific brands • Neither seems to be working!

  11. Require complete disclosure of all tobacco product placements • Legally ban all tobacco product placements

  12. Central Hudson four-part test • Does the speech concern lawful activity and is it not misleading? • Is the asserted government interest substantial? • Does the regulation directly advance the governmental interest? • Is the regulation no more extensive than necessary to serve that interest?

  13. Effect of viewing smoking in movies on adolescent smoking initiation • Written survey of students age 10-14 in Vermont and New Hampshire • Students were asked • whether they had ever smoked cigarettes • which films they had seen • from list of 50 movies randomly selected from sample of 601 popular contemporary movies • Movies coded based on number of smoking occurrences for each movie

  14. Survey identified 3547 adolescents who had never tried smoking • 2603 (73%) were contacted during follow-up survey 13-26 months later • asked whether they had become smokers in intervening period

  15. Survey controlled for variables considered relevant • Grade in school • Gender • Friend smoking • Sibling smoking • Parent smoking • Receptivity to tobacco promotions • School performance • Sensation-seeking propensity • Rebelliousness • Self-esteem • Parents’ education • Authoritative parenting • Perception of parental disapproval of smoking

  16. On average, students had seen 16 of 50 movies • Exposure to movie smoking • increased with age • was higher in boys than girls • Girls saw mean of 14.6 movies with mean of 85.1 smoking occurrences • Boys saw mean of 17.1 movies with mean of 113.5 smoking occurrences

  17. Direct correlation between exposure to smoking and smoking initiation • Adolescents who viewed most smoking in movies were almost three times more likely to initiate smoking than those with least exposure • 52.2% of smoking initiation was attributed to seeing smoking in movies • Compared to 34% attributed to advertising and promotion

  18. Adolescents with non-smoking parents • risk of smoking initiation increased substantially with greater exposure to movie smoking • Adolescents with smoking parents • had higher risk of smoking initiation • were less influenced by exposure to movie smoking than other group

  19. Smoking shows a clear “dose-response” relations • Reducing exposure will reduce effect on smoking and health • Include smoking or tobacco placement as basis for “R” rating • Smoking doesn’t sell tickets • studios have a strong incentive to stop putting smoking in movies aimed at adolescents

  20. 3. Shame the movie industry • Hackademy Awards • SceneSmoking.org

  21. 4. Pressure the industry • August, 2003 28 Attorneys General • wrote to Jack Valenti, president of Motion Picture Association of America • shared findings of Dartmouth Medical School study • December 2003 Sorrell and four other AG’s met with • Valenti • the Directors Guild of America’s Social Responsibility Task Force • production executives of the seven major studios

  22. 5. Criminal action • SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy. • SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health. • SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight. • SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

  23. After January 1, 1971, it shall be unlawful to advertise cigarettes and little cigars on any medium of electronic communication subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission

  24. 1998 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) filed formal complaint with Department of Justice • Paid tobacco placements constitute advertising • Must therefore include Surgeon General’s warning • Movies shown on television with tobacco placements violate federal law

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