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2018
Sarath Kumar fumes over TV debates on smoking scene in Vijay starrer
Tamil actor-turned-politician Sarath Kumar has expressed his ire over the TV channels holding debates on "smoking scenes in movies." After the release of the first look of Thalapathy Vijay's SARKAR, PMK founder Anbumani Ramadoss slammed it as the lead actor Vijay posed smoking a cigarette. He said it promoted smoking and a similar stand was taken by the Tamil Nadu People's Forum for Tobacco Control. The Tamil TV channels picked this issue and starting holding debates on smoking scenes in movies and their impact.
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On-screen smoking scenes declining
Smoking scenes in Chinese movies and TV series have generally declined over the past decade, but not all producers are keen on extinguishing such on-screen depictions. Last year's figures were worse than in 2016, according to an anti-tobacco group.
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MPAA Chairman defends rating guidance on smoking in movies
MPAA chairman Charles Rivkin defended the way that the voluntary movie ratings system informs parents about smoking in movies, as a group of senators called for the industry to take greater action to limit tobacco use on screen … He also pushed back on the idea of giving an R rating to just about any movie that depicts smoking.
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Senators urge MPAA to assign R rating to movies with smoking
| Truth Initiative (14 Jun 2018)
The Motion Picture Association of America should act to reduce youth exposure to smoking in movies, including by issuing an R rating to movies that feature tobacco imagery, wrote seven U.S. senators in a letter to MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin.
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Senate Democrats aim to eliminate tobacco imagery in movies
Some Democratic senators are encouraging the new head of the Motion Picture Association of America to ensure “responsible” practices when it comes to displaying use of tobacco in films – a plea they believe will stop young people from taking up smoking.
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Durbin leads call to reduce smoking in movies geared toward children & teens
| US Senate (4 Jun 2018)
The U.S. Surgeon General has definitively concluded that exposure to smoking in movies leads to youth initiation, but enactment of certain public health policies could reduce youth smoking rates by nearly 20% and prevent one million deaths.
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Sen. Markey leads call to minimize depictions of smoking in kid-rated movies
“Although the evidence connecting smoking imagery to youth smoking initiation is strong, MPAA has yet to take meaningful action to discourage tobacco imagery in films or effectively warn viewers and parents of tobacco’s presence in a movie,” write the Senators in their letter to MPAA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin. “Our nation’s dramatic decline in youth tobacco use is a tremendous achievement, but on-screen depictions remain a threat to this progress and threaten to re-normalize tobacco use in our society. We cannot afford to lose any ground in this area.”
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Hollywood silent on request to give R rating to movies with smoking
| AHA News (1 Jun 2018)
The silent film era ended nearly a century ago, but Hollywood is still mute when it comes to demands to change its rating system to award an R rating to most movies that feature tobacco.
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Top 5 reasons why people smoke, according to a psychiatrist
A young patient of mine once said to me, “If famous actors can chain smoke every day and be successful, live so long and also be physically fit, then why can’t my parents let me smoke once a week with friends?” The psychology that a role model is doing something wrong, hence it’s okay for us to do it too, exists amongst many.
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A report says shows on streaming services depict lots of smoking, but what can be done?
Obviously, the industry is aware of the problem, so what’s left but for them to do something about it?
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