Rating Smoking “R”
Big tobacco has used the power of the big screen to target their products to consumers of all ages. The tobacco industry highlights its products on-screen through brand recognition and tobacco imagery, creating the idea that tobacco use is normal, or even glamourous. The use of tobacco in youth-rated movies can lead to a real-life addiction, as it is a primary recruiter for teen smokers. This is why it is important to rate all movies with pro-tobacco imagery “R” to protect youth from a lifetime of addiction. If an R-rating was given, more than one million lives could be saved!
Join us in ending the deceptive way tobacco products are marketed! Reality Check works hard to expose the negative effects that pro-tobacco imagery in movies has on youth. International Week of Action occurs during Oscar season and is a chance for Reality Check groups across New York to bring awareness to those negative effects.
Events
On February 28, 2020, Reality Check youth from Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties took part in International Week of Action (IWOA) by hosting a free movie viewing of The Incredibles 2, a smoke-free film, at the Charles R. Wood Theatre in Glens Falls. At this event, Reality Check youth presented on the harms of tobacco in youth-rated films, had a tobacco-related trivia wheel, and a photo booth with the year’s IWOA theme, “What is Hollywood Hiding?” This event was a great opportunity for the community to learn about the dangers of tobacco in film.
Check out the Reality Check of New York website for more information and pictures from events around the state.
How Can You Help?
Write a letter to the Motion Picture Association of America to share why you think smoking in films should be given an “R” rating.
