From music trends to fashion styles, young people often follow the behavior of the celebrities that they observe on the screen, including those that use tobacco. Recent studies have revealed that films depicting celebrities and smoking are reinforcing and increasing the opinion among youth that smoking is a normal, widespread, and socially desirable behavior. Furthermore, these movies do not reflect the lasting consequences of tobacco use.
Although the attitudes and behaviors of family and peers are the most important influences on the decisions of adolescents to use tobacco, the media – to include movies, television, and Internet – also affect these decisions.
Leonardo DiCaprio Smoking a Cigarette
Here are some quick facts connected with celebrities and smoking:
In the United States, young people watch an average of 3 films a week, which have an average of 5 smoking episodes each, resulting in about 15 exposures to smoking a week. In movies, adolescents may be more exposed to smoking than in real life. Today’s movie heroes are 3 to 4 times more likely to smoke than people in real life, if a teenager sees his or her favorite star smoking, there is a considerable chance that the teen will emulate the habit as well.
Further more, about two-thirds of movies seen today show celebrities and smoking, including movies rated PG or PG-13 that are intended for young audiences. Top-billed celebrities lit up in 59% of all films reviewed, Tobacco is used in approx. 75% of all films reviewed and most tobacco use takes place in enclosed areas around non-smokers.
Today, a lot of Hollywood celebrities have realized the scale of the problem and have begun to promote a healthy life without smoking. However, there are still many male and female smoking celebrities who do not hesitate to promote smoking on screen. The apparent reason for that is that tobacco companies offer tremendous fees to celebrities to promote their products on-screen.
Angelina Jolie and Sharon Stone Smoking on Screen
Luckily, celebrities and smoking are often separated by just as many celebrities. Among the most influential celebrities who said NO to tobacco use and take an active part in anti-smoking campaigns are: Christy Turlington, Jeremy London, Boyz II Men, Jill Sobule, the Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Richard Marx, Mark Hamill, and others.
In the documentary film entitled “Scene Smoking”, experts from the health and entertainment fields talk about real-life choices they have made and what they feel about the depiction of smoking on screen. This film relies on testimony from some of the most influential voices of Hollywood including Christy Turlington, Ted Danson, Rob Reiner and Sean Penn in a open discussion of social responsibility, artists` rights, and the first amendment.
This hour-long documentary can be used with college and high school students in a number of various subject areas, including directing, film studies, screen writing, communications, acting, journalism, political science, public relations, law, health education and public health,. The video might be shown without a break or in two half-hour fragments. The supplementary guides for facilitators recommend activities to promote critical thinking on smoking.
