Smoking in Film in New Zealand: Measuring Risk Exposure
Author Information
Author(s): Gale Jesse, Fry Bridget, Smith Tara, Okawa Ken, Chakrabarti Anannya, Ah-Yen Damien, Yi Jesse, Townsend Simon, Carroll Rebecca, Stockwell Alannah, Sievwright Andrea, Dew Kevin, Thomson George
Primary Institution: Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago
Hypothesis
This study aimed to quantify exposure to smoking in film received by New Zealand audiences and evaluate potential interventions to reduce the quantity and impact of this exposure.
Conclusion
In New Zealand, pre-film anti-smoking advertising appears to be the most promising immediate policy response.
Supporting Evidence
- Seven of the ten films contained at least one tobacco reference.
- The majority of the 38 tobacco references involved characters smoking, most of whom were male.
- Smoking was associated with positive character traits, notably rebellion.
- Legislative or censorship approaches to smoking in film are currently unlikely to succeed.
- Anti-smoking advertising before films has promise, but experimental research is required to demonstrate cost effectiveness.
Takeaway
The study looked at how much smoking is shown in movies watched by young people in New Zealand and found that many films show smoking in a positive light, which could encourage kids to smoke.
Methodology
The ten highest-grossing films in New Zealand for 2003 were analyzed for smoking references by two independent viewers.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in character demographics and portrayal of smoking due to subjective analysis by viewers.
Limitations
The study's sample size was small and limited to the top ten films, which may not represent all films shown in New Zealand.
Participant Demographics
The characters associated with smoking were predominantly male (81.8%), with a mix of ages and ethnicities.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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