Smoking in movies is a cause for smoking initiation and progression to regular smoking among youth. Higher exposure to onscreen tobacco increases the uptake of smoking among youth and undermines tobacco prevention efforts. This report examines the extent of onscreen tobacco exposure in movies among Ontario youth and estimates the impact of exposure to onscreen tobacco in movies on youth smoking.
It is estimated that, on average, 13,241 current smokers in Ontario aged 12-17 were recruited to smoking in a year because of watching smoking in movies. It is projected that, on average, 4,237 of these smokers will die prematurely as a result of tobacco imagery in movies. Ontario is very far behind the United States in restricting movies that depict tobacco use to adult viewers.
Related publications:
- 1434 Top-grossing Movies Released in the Domestic Market (Canada and US), 2004-2013, in Alphabetic Order by Year (PDF)
- 1434 Top-grossing Movies Released in the Domestic Market (Canada and US), 2004-2013, in Alphabetic Order by Year (Excel)
Date: May 2014
Type of Publication: Special Report
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