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| Petition: |
Petition for the MPAA to rate movies with smoking or tobacco product placement, with an "R" Rating.
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| Target: |
Mr. Jack Valenti, President of the MPAA
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| Context: |
Widespread smoking in the movies is a MAJOR pro-tobacco influence on teens. Teens that view smoking in movies are 21/2 times more likely to start smoking themselves! Tobacco use and brand recognition has been known to affect teen perception of smoking.
Hollywood said it best when Robert Richards (1972), the president of Productions Inc (a movie and television company) said, "Film is better than any commercial that has been run on television or in any magazine, because the audience is totally unaware of any sponsor involvement."
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| Sponsored by: | Reality Check Movement of New York State
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Motion Picture Association of America
15503 Ventura Boulevard
Encino, California 91436
I am writing on behalf of the NY youth-led, adult supported Anti-Tobacco Movement, Reality Check. You may have heard of them before. They are a group of youth dedicated to getting the word out about the tobacco industry's manipulative marketing practices to get teens to smoke. The Tobacco Industry is currently spending over $9 Billion dollars per year, to do just that, manipulate teens to smoke and use thier products.
Widepread smoking in the movies is a major pro-tobacco influence, particularly on teens. Smoking in movies glamorizes and normalizes tobacco use, and is contributes to the mass misperception that most people accept smoking and second-hand smoke. One of the ways the tobacco industry does this, is by USING YOUR INDUSTRY! We know, we've heard you mention that smoking in films is an actors right and that the tobacco industry does not place their products in your films.
However, I look at MIBII and the "Worm Guys" carting away boxes of Marlboro cigarettes as something that can be avoided. This kind of brand recognition has been know to affect teen perception of tobacco use. In fact, teens who view lots of smoking in movies are two and a half times more likely to start smoking themselves.
As a concerned individual, I ask that you consider rating all movies that show smoking or place tobacco products in them, with an "R" rating. As the powerful medium you are, you have a responsibility for caring for the public's interest and well-being, NOT just making money off of them.
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| Started on: |
2002-12-11 |
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