News | Opinion

2017

Princess Leia ultimately killed by the real Darth Vader

Stuart Kreisman | Vancouver (BC) Sun (3 Jan 2017)

The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that...simple movie ratings changes could reduce the number of teen smokers by nearly one in five (18 per cent), and prevent one million deaths from smoking among U.S. children alive today. In Canada, the ratings systems are even worse, with 86 per cent of movies featuring tobacco use being youth-rated Read more...

2016

Guest op-ed: A smoke-free scene

Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams | Brooklyn Reporter (17 Nov 2016)

The solution is an “R” rating for all movies that contain tobacco imagery. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that giving an “R” rating to future movies with tobacco would be expected to reduce the number of teen smokers by nearly one in five and prevent one million deaths from smoking among children alive today. Read more...

In the fight against tobacco, advocates shouldn't send free speech up in smoke

Alyssa Rosenberg | The Washington Post (11 May 2016)

The debate about smoking and the movies raises important questions about the history of government regulation of the movies, the ability of an industry to regulate itself, and the best ways to advocate for changes to what we see on our movie screens. Read more...

Why should Hollywood quit smoking?

Robbie Collin | The Telegraph (1 Apr 2016)

California's anti-smoking lobby wants Hollywood to give up cigarettes. But what's so wrong with stars who light up the screen? Read more...

Why does Hollywood glorify smoking...?

Rush Limbaugh | The Rush Limbaugh Show (6 Jan 2016)

Now, you would think that if Hollywood was really serious about it, a bunch of liberals interested in public health, that they would not make any movies with anybody smoking. So what's up? Read more...

2015

We've come a long way, but not far enough

David Bly | Times Colonist (British Columbia) (12 Sep 2015)

Smoking portrayed on movie screens had considerable influence in persuading people to smoke. The message was overt and powerful — cool, sophisticated, tough, savvy people smoked. Read more...

'Mad Men' got the smoking issue right after all

Robin Koval | CNN (19 May 2015)

Suddenly the fictional world of 'Mad Men' collided with the facts about women's lung and heart health and the array of deadly illnesses linked to women smoking. Read more...