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Through this campaign, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment,Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Company and WarnerBros. will place California's anti-smoking public service announcements in theopening minutes of DVDs of all new movies with tobacco use that are rated G,PG and PG-13.
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"This is a strong and responsible step on the part of the entertainmentindustry that will go a long way toward countering the influence of tobaccouse in films," said Kim Belshe, California Health and Human ServicesSecretary. "With this agreement, we will be able to promote the benefits ofliving tobacco-free to millions of viewers at no cost to taxpayers, whileencouraging important conversations between parents and their children aboutthe dangers of smoking."
EIF, which has focused for several years on combating the negative effectsof "glamorized" smoking in films, brought the State of California and theHollywood studios together and handled the production details to make thisfirst-of-its-kind initiative a reality.
"The State of California is a great partner, having produced some of themost successful anti-smoking public service announcements. California'sTobacco Control Program PSAs have helped the state achieve some of the lowestadult and teen smoking rates in the country," said EIF President and CEO LisaPaulsen. "We're proud to have played a role in bringing the state and all thestudios together."
The public service announcements will appear before the films on each DVDand can currently be seen online at http://www.TobaccoFreeCA.com.
At the end of each 30-second PSA, viewers are directed tohttp://www.TobaccoFreeCA.com, for information on the dangers of smoking andfor help in quitting and helping others quit. Resources are available in all50 states. The PSAs were developed by the state's Tobacco Control Program,which is operated by the California Department of Public Health, one of 12departments in the California Health and Human Services Agency.
Through its initiative called Hollywood Unfiltered, EIF is committed toworking from within the entertainment industry to reduce tobacco's negativeconsequences by educating members about the impact smoking has on young peopleand the steps they can take to make a difference. This commitment from thestudios is another step in EIF's work to reduce the impact of smoking on youngpeople. Partners in this effort include the Motion Picture Association ofAmerica, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Directors Guildof America, International Alliance for Theatrical Stage Employees, ScreenActors Guild and Writers Guild of America.
"The Motion Picture Association of America and all six of its membercompanies, including Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros.have demonstrated their collective commitment to working in partnership withorganizations like the Entertainment Industry Foundation to educate our ownindustry about the negative effects of smoking," said MPAA Chairman and CEODan Glickman. "The decisions by all six major movie studios to putanti-smoking PSAs on their DVDs, coupled with the MPAA's recent decision toincorporate smoking into the rating system, demonstrate that the industry iscommitted to informing parents about smoking depictions in films so they canmake informed decisions for their children."
Additionally, EIF and the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF), withsupport from the Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plan, operate thefirst ever industry-led smoking cessation program. Called Pictur
