Hollywood: Quit Pushing Smoking on Our Kids!
Research indicates that Hollywood recruits close to 390,000 new youth smokers each year. That's nearly enough new smokers to replace each and every American who dies of a tobacco-related illness during the same year!
Youths who are highly exposed to smoking in movies are three times more likely to start smoking than teens with little exposure. Luckily, the problem of tobacco in Hollywood has an answer: break the ties between the entertainment and tobacco industries by demanding that future youth-rated films be tobacco-free. Let the Motion Picture Association of America know that you want movies featuring on-screen smoking to be "R" rated!
Dear [Decision maker],
I am writing you today out of concern for the health and well-being of America's youth. Hollywood has a hold on young people the way that no other medium does. Youths, with the highest exposure to smoking in movies, are nearly three times more likely to start smoking themselves.
Smoking in movies is the most powerful pro-tobacco influence on kids today, accounting for more than one-third of all youths who start smoking. Add to this the knowledge that two out of every three G-, PG- and PG-13-rated movies include on-screen smoking or tobacco imagery.
Movies featuring on-screen smoking or tobacco imagery should be rated "R" unless it is determined that the presentation of tobacco clearly reflects the dangers of tobacco use or accurately portrays the smoking behavior of a historical figure.
[Your comment here]
Please do your part to end the influence of Big Tobacco on America's youth.
