Study Shows Exposure To Smoking In Movies Linked To Youth Smoking.

The truth campaign will make its cinema debut on July 25 with the airing of the 1200 spot, a new commercial in which nearly 1,000 youth drop to the ground to deliver a dramatic and poignant message about the daily death toll from tobacco-related disease. The ad was filmed in Louisville, Kentucky with the building of a major tobacco manufacturer serving as the backdrop. The truth campaign from the American Legacy Foundation® is the largest national smoking prevention campaign for teens in U.S. history. truth has a critical role in cinemas as it provides a counter message to the images of smoking in the movies.

A recent study by Madeline Dalton and James Sargent published in the Lancet found that youth exposed to smoking in the movies were more likely to start smoking themselves. Additionally, the American Legacy Foundation conducted an analysis that reviewed tobacco use prevalence in feature films. The findings showed that 67% of the 216 films reviewed, and 14% of the trailers, depicted smoking – including a large number of films that earned ratings suitable for children. The foundation’s analysis also found that smoking was depicted in 85% of R-rated movies, 64% of PG-13-rated movies and 37% of PG-rated movies.

While smoking rates among the nation’s youth are at a historic low, 2,000 teens start smoking every day in the U.S. and few will succeed in their attempts to quit. In fact, findings from the American Legacy Foundation’s Legacy Media Tracking Survey (LMTS) showed that 60% of young women smokers age 16-24 tried to quit smoking during the previous year. However, among women who tried to quit in the previous year, only 3% succeeded in quitting for at least a year.

“Recent research has shown there is a link between smoking in the movies and youth behavior. It is critical that truth deliver an anti-smoking message to teens to counter the influence of smoking on the big screen,” said Dr. Cheryl Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation. “truth has helped to reduce youth smoking rates to the lowest levels in 28 years. We hope this hard-hitting, edgy ad will prevent teens from becoming one of the 1,200 people who die each day from tobacco-related disease.”

The 1200 spot can be seen at the following cinemas beginning on July 24, 2003: AMC, Hoyts, Regal, United Artist and Edwards. The major metropolitan areas where the commercial will be shown are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Harrisburg, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Seattle-Tacoma, St. Louis, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Washington, DC and West Palm Beach.

The commercial will air prior to major feature films including, but not limited to (a full list of films is available):
– Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
– Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
– Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
– Le Divorce
– How to Deal
– Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
– Seabiscuit
– Gigli
– Bad Boys 2

truth speaks to teens on their own turf through mediums other than cinema. Throughout the summer, truth® is reaching out to young people as part of the summer grassroots initiative. The summer grassroots program, which began on July 5 and runs through August 16, will visit 45 cities in 25 states. More than 20 young people are working as truth crew members and traveling with Lollapalooza, Hot Import Nights, And 1 Mix Tape Tour and Vans Warped Tour to spread messages about tobacco use and the tobacco industry in peer-to-peer settings.

The “Monitoring the Future” study released in December 2002 reported declines in smoking rates among 8th, 10th and 12th graders and cited the truth campaign as one of the reasons for this public health victory. The American Legacy Foundation, which provides strategic direction and funding for the truth campaign, earlier this year received what is likely its final payment from the National Public Education Fund established by the Master Settlement Agreement. Despite its success, the truth campaign now faces a funding challenge, and the smoking rates of America’s youth may not stay at the lowest levels in 28 years without truth. truth is needed to counter the $11.22 billion the tobacco industry spent in 2001 to promote and market their products in the U.S. alone.

truth was launched in February 2000 and is the largest national smoking prevention campaign for youth. The campaign exposes the tactics of tobacco marketing and allows teens to make informed choices about tobacco use by giving them the facts about the tobacco industry and its products. The campaign was created by the American Legacy Foundation, which was created as a result of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco industry and 46 states.

For more information at http://www.thetruth.com