Smoke Free Movies has launched a series of print advertisements in several publications. This advertisement first ran in Roll Call on August 27 and September 2, 2008.

R is for reasonable and responsible.

It’s a scientific fact: The more smoking teens see on screen, the more likely they are to start smoking.

The motion picture and tobacco industries have a long, documented history of promoting smoking. Under pressure from public health authorities and state attorneys general, studios have acknowledged the teen smoking issue and added anti-smoking spots to some DVDs.

But Hollywood has failed to implement the main policy recommendation: permanently and substantially reduce teen exposure to smoking on screen.

The most effective, least intrusive means to cut exposure? Rate future smoking “R.” Producers would simply reserve smoking for their R-rated films, the way they now routinely calibrate other content. Movies rated G, PG, and PG-13 would be smoke-free, cutting teens’ risk from on-screen smoking in half.

Hollywood’s rating system doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime. Yet the R’s results will rank among the most important public health advances of our time.

One letter can now save thousands of lives.

R-rate smoking in new movies.

[Signers:]

American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, AMA Alliance, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, American Public Health Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, State of New York Department of Health, New York State PTA, Smoke Free Movies.

Smoking in movies kills in real life. The R-rating will except depictions of the dire health effects of tobacco use and portrayals of actual historical figures who smoked (e.g., Churchill). Previously released films will not be re-rated. For a full description of the R-rating and a list of its global endorsers, please go to www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu.