TOBACCO IN MOVIES AND IMPACT ON YOUTH - Smoke Free ...

INTRODUCTION
Tobacco in Movies & Impact on Youth
Tobacco is one of the major causes of deaths and disease in India, accounting for
over eight lakh deaths every year. 1 Tobacco is the second major cause of death in
the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults’ worldwide
(about 5 million deaths each year). If current smoking patterns continue, it will
cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. Half the people who smoke
today, that is, about 650 million people- will eventually be killed by tobacco.
Tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide. The
economic costs of tobacco use are equally devastating. In addition to the high
public health costs of treating tobacco-caused diseases, tobacco kills people at the
height of their productivity, depriving families of breadwinners and nations of a
healthy workforce. 2
A question arises that if tobacco is so deadly, why people consume tobacco? Is it
natural for people to consume tobacco or is someone pushing the deadly tobacco?
Over a period of time and after a lot of research, it has been found that tobacco
advertisements, sponsorships and promotions are major influences for a person to
initiate tobacco consumption. 168 countries (ratified by 113 till date) of the world 3
who signed the “Frame Work Convention on Tobacco Control,” an international
treaty of global dimension, expressed their concern about the advertising,
promotion and sponsorship in no unclear term in the preamble itself; it read
“Parties to this convention (are) seriously concerned about the impact of all forms
of advertising, promotion and sponsorship aimed at encouraging the use of
tobacco products.” 4
From the same concern the Indian government banned all forms of direct and
indirect forms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship through a legislation
called “Cigarette and other tobacco products Act 2003.” Despite that many
surrogate forms of advertisement continues till date. The FCTC also warns about
such nefarious designs in its preamble itself and recognizes the “need to be alert to
any efforts by the tobacco industry to undermine or subvert tobacco control
efforts” and “the activities of the tobacco industry that have a negative impact on
tobacco control efforts.” 5
It was found by Burning Brain Society and many other organizations that tobacco
companies are endorsing film stars and producers to place their tobacco products
in movies which amount to advertising, promotion and sponsorship 6 . This brought
a realization that if “Motion pictures” which are one of the most important mass
media tool continue to be used by tobacco companies to promote tobacco and be
allowed to spread the myths about tobacco or present tobacco as a lifestyle and
fashion statement, all other efforts to contain tobacco may also fail. A need to
assess the actual ground level reality was felt so that the impact created on
youngsters resulting from tobacco in movies is understood in a better way.
Assessing movies also present the actual scenario about whether tobacco is being
associated with emotions like stress, bravery, machismo, fashion, lifestyle, etc;
and whether there is any product placement after the enactment of the anti-tobacco
legislation.
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