Researchers show that children widely exposed to smoking in movies

According to researchers at the University of Toronto's Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, more than half of the highest-grossing films in Ontario in the last 16 years were tobacco products, and most of these films have been deemed acceptable by young people.

Since 2002, adult-accompanied (AA) or 14A movies have provided 5.7 billion images of tobacco to Ontario moviegoers, three times more than the 18A or R films shown in the same period, according to the report. published on July 23rd.

The report estimates that on-screen smoking exposure will prompt 185,000 youth 17 and younger to become smokers, resulting in additional health care costs of $ 1.1 billion. during their lives.

"In fact, these estimates might underestimate the impact of smoking on Ontario's children," said Professor Robert Schwartz of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Schwartz, who is also director of Ontario's Tobacco Research Unit, said that most R-rated movies in the US – which means they are banned to young people under 18 years of age Guardian – are considered acceptable to youth by the Ontario Film Review Board. These movies are more likely to contain smoking.

Movies are a powerful way to promote smoking. The tobacco industry has a long history of working with Hollywood to promote smoking in movies, including paying for the placement of tobacco products in movies.

"Numerous scientific evidence indicates that tobacco exposure in movies is a cause of smoking initiation and smoking progression among youth," said Donna Kosmack, co-chair of the Ontario Coalition for Films smokeless. "Tobacco exposure on the screen undermines tobacco prevention efforts."

According to recent polls conducted by Ipsos, 78% of Ontarians support the ban on smoking in G, PG and 14A films, up from 73% in 2011.

"There is a simple way to solve the problem – it's a change to the provincial film clbadification enforcement regulations that would put 18A on all films that smoke in Ontario, "said Michael Perley of the Ontario Campaign for Action Tobacco.

"Ontarians support measures to protect children from the normalization of smoking," said Liz Scanlon, Senior Director, Public Affairs, Ontario, for Heart & Stroke.

Thousands of Ontarians have signed petitions for measures to reduce smoking exposure in youth-produced films in Ontario. Nearly two dozen MPs from the three main parties have seen these petitions.