In 2010, 55 percent of the top grossing movies had no scenes of tobacco use. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of movies that showed tobacco use has declined from past years. In fact, in that six-year period, the number of tobacco incidents fell roughly by 56 percent, but there were still around 2,000 scenes where an actor used tobacco.
In 2010, the morbid and mortality weekly report published a study from the CDC that said 2010 had the most top-grossing movies with no tobacco use in two decades.
The report further indicates that the decreased use of tobacco in movies may have had an influence in the decline of tobacco use in middle and high schools across the nation.
The CDC released a report last year that showed tobacco use from middle school students has declined from 11 percent to five percent between 2000 and 2009. Moreover, experimental use has declined from 30 percent to 15 percent in that same time frame.
There has also been a decline in tobacco use from high school students, though not as much as middle school students. Only 17 percent of all high school students smoked cigarettes in 2009, compared with 28 percent in 2000.
Four studies show that most teens start smoking after seeing tobacco in major movies, according to the CDC in its recent report. Moreover, most people start smoking when they are teenagers.
Since major studies are reporting that fewer teens are smoking due to reduced onscreen tobacco use, the United States Department of Health updated its strategic plan to include fewer incidents of onscreen smoking.
Now, three of the six major movie publishers have policies that restrict the use of onscreen tobacco use. Additionally, the number of tobacco incidents in G and PG rated movies fell from 23 incidents in 2005 to one incident in a movie last year.
The last movie to come under attack from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was “Rango” from Paramount Pictures. In the movie, several characters use tobacco products, mostly cigars.
The AAP stated that they do not understand why Hollywood, with all of its updated technology, still has not found a better way to showcase its characters without influencing its viewers to use tobacco.
