New York State fights to eliminate smoking in films

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), Feb 21, 2008 by Danielle Derringer

New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., this week called on companies that own movie studios to eliminate smoking from movies with ratings of G, PG and PG-13, according to a release from the State Department of Health.

"The science clearly shows that exposure to smoking in movies is the single most powerful pro-tobacco influence on children, accounting for the recruitment of half of new adolescent smokers," Daines said in the release. "The good news is that reducing children's exposure to smoking on-screen also reduces smoking initiation."

In a letter earlier this month, Daines urged the chief executive officers of six major motion picture studios, including The Disney Company, the News Corporation, SONY?Corporation, Time Warner, General Electric and Viacom, and to the president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to act now to reduce children's exposure to smoking on-screen.