Philip Morris deserves Oscar

Youth targeted in cigarette brand's 28 blockbuster appearances in 10 years 

“

Health groups are nominating the international tobacco giant Philip Morris for an Oscar at this month’s Academy Awards (March 24) - following megastar appearances by its leading brand Marlboro in at least 28 blockbuster movies over the past decade.

ASH Australia (Action on Smoking and Health) and The Cancer Council NSW suggest Philip Morris be awarded an Oscar for “Worst Supporting Product” for insidious placement of the Marlboro brand.

Marlboro’s latest role is opposite Sissy Spacek in the Oscar favourite In The Bedroom. Other Oscar-nominated films this year with frequent smoking scenes or in some cases, lingering close-ups of other top cigarette brands include A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe, and Moulin Rouge in which Nicole Kidman’s character is a smoker.

“This is not about censorship,” says ASH CEO Anne Jones. “It’s about ensuring films are not being used as an insidious form of backdoor advertising for tobacco products, especially in a way which is going to attract children. Having just viewed In the Bedroom, I see no valid reason for its gratuitous plugging of Marlboro.”

CEO of The Cancer Council, Dr Andrew Penman says the portrayal of tobacco use in films, particularly by stars who are admired by adolescents, contributes to youth smoking. 

“Evidence shows that children watching movies gain the impression that successful, attractive people are more likely to smoke. Already, 25% of Australian children smoke, and in NSW alone we have 85,000 children aged 12 to 17 years who are regular smokers.”

Research shows:

• The smoking rate among major characters in Hollywood movies is up to 300% higher than it is for comparable people in reality.

• Smoking in the movies fell through the 1960s, 70s and 80s, but shot up in the 1990            even after the tobacco industry said it was no longer placing cigarettes in movies.

Health groups are calling on government to boost funding for anti-smoking campaigns in cinemas and the media to counter the glamorisation of smoking in films.

For Philip Morris’s film strategy, see http://www.pmdocs.com/PDF/2021285680_5697.PDF - p.10

For more info, see also http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/

This is a joint release by ASH and The Cancer Council NSW 

Contacts:       Anne Jones, ASH Australia   ph. (02) 9334 1876 or 0417 227 879

Lisa Johnston, The Cancer Council NSW   ph. (02) 9334 1878 or 0413 886 578

Page last updated on 15/3/2002