Smoke-Free Movies

Let’s Talk Science & Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health School Youth Tobacco Campaign

Background● Smoking has many health risks & causes many

diseases○ Heart disease & Lung Cancer

● Movies are a powerful form of smoking promotion○ Movies are very influential

● Smoking in youth is an important issue○ Youth=You!!

● Majority of box office movies feature on-screen tobacco○ Actors using or pretending to use tobacco products

● Most of those movies are youth-rated movies

Do any of these look familiar?

Activity #1:1. WHAT comes to mind when you think about

smoking and cigarettes?2. WHERE do you see people smoking the most?3. WHO do you think of when you hear “smoker”?4. WHO do you usually see smoking in movies? Why? 5. WHY are movies used to promote smoking?

WHAT comes to mind when you think about smoking and cigarettes?● Is smoking cool? Tobacco companies

want you to think so! ● Trying to take something extremely

toxic and make it cool..don’t get manipulated!

● Health Risks● Addiction● Cost of cigarettes

WHERE do you see people smoking the most?

● Family members?● Friends/Peers/School?● Movies?● Restaurants?● Overall: Do you think its possible you

see more smoking in movies than you would in your life?

WHO do you think of when you hear “Smoker”?

- Draw a picture of someone you can see with a tobacco product

- How old are they? What are their hobbies? What are their goals in life? What kind of friends do they have? Are they a student or do they work? If they work, why type of job do they have?

WHO do you usually see smoking in movies? Why?

- Youth! - Want to promote this addiction at an early

age- Cartoon characters smoke in movies - Teenagers & rebellious youth seen

smoking- Higher class/wealthy people- Example: Many Disney movies (stay

tuned for a video clip!)

Some famous people that smoke!

WHY are movies used to promote smoking?

- “It’s the movies that have really been running things in America ever since they were invented. They show you what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how to feel about it, and how to look at how you feel about it”

- Andy Warhol- Movies can influence what we think is “cool”, how we

act and who we look up to.

Summary Video

Smoke-Free Movies:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRFDl5dLnwo

3mins40sec

Movie Clip #1:

Smoking in Disney Classics:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuUt1NhkdvM

1min40secs

Movie Clip #2:

Friend Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovRCirgKhvg

Is smoking in movies ‘cool’?

So...what do you think now?

Why is this so important?● 13,000 Ontarians die each year from tobacco-

related illness● Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of

death● Health risks:

○ Lung cancer & lung damage○ Mouth, throat, kidney, stomach cancers (and many other

cancers!)○ Heart disease and heart attack○ Faster aging, wrinkles, age spots on skin○ Damaged & yellowed teeth and gums○ Stained fingers○ Hair loss○ risk of osteoporosis- weakening of the bones

Health Effects of Smoking

Bill Nye Video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzT332vkWes

2mins

Q & ARaise your hand to answer a question!

If you answer a question, you’ll receive some smoke-free movies swag!

Take Home Messages● Smoking in movies can cause young people

to start smoking● Tobacco companies are targeting youth● Smoking is not all it is cracked up to be● There are many, many, many health

consequences of smoking● Be sure to not get influenced by what you

see!

Thank you!