A report was released by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, saying tobacco marketing and depictions of smoking movies are what encourage teens to smoke. Furthermore, the report stated that tobacco is among the most heavily advertised products.
It was found that manufacturers of cigarettes in America spent $13.5 billion in 2005 on advertising and promotion, which means that they spent $37 million a day.
The senior scientific editor of the report, Dr. Ronald Davis, said, "The media have been used to promote cigarettes and smoking through infamous advertising icons, such as the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel, and through tobacco images in Hollywood movies."
According to Davis the report presents "the most current and comprehensive analysis of the scientific evidence on the impact of these forces, and other media exposures, on beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours concerning tobacco use."
As a smoker I can't remember the last time I watched a Hollywood film and got an urge to smoke, as there are no movies anymore with smoking in them. The ones that do feature smoking usually have a rating on them that does not allow teenagers to view these films. Why aren't films about drugs, like heroin, blamed for people becoming drug addicts. It just doesn't seem to make sense.
[Via: cbc.ca]
