Government Inaction on Movie Ratings and Youth Smoking
Author Information
Author(s): Christopher Millett, Jonathan R. Polansky, Stanton A. Glantz
Primary Institution: Imperial College London
Hypothesis
Does government inaction on adult content ratings for films with smoking contribute to youth smoking rates?
Conclusion
Governments should align film subsidy programs with public health goals to reduce youth exposure to smoking in movies.
Supporting Evidence
- Exposure to tobacco imagery in movies is a potent cause of youth experimentation and progression to established smoking.
- Between one-half and two-thirds of US-produced films that are youth-rated and government-subsidized contain smoking.
- Governments spend more on subsidies for films with smoking than on tobacco prevention campaigns.
Takeaway
Movies with smoking can make kids want to smoke, and governments are giving money to make these movies without proper ratings.
Methodology
The paper reviews the implementation of WHO recommendations on adult content ratings and examines film industry subsidies in the UK, Canada, and the US.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the film industry's influence on government policies.
Limitations
The analysis may not account for all factors influencing youth smoking initiation.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
0.34–0.58
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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