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