County officials launch antismoking video contest

By DAILY SOUND STAFF — Nov. 24, 2009

A video contest open to local teens and young adults is focused on taking action against the effects of tobacco use in films.

Sponsored by the county’s Tobacco Prevention Settlement Program, the “Reel Change” video contest is now accepting entries of half-minute antismoking public service announcements from local residents between 14 and 25 years of age. The winning videos will be presented in movie theaters this spring and winning filmmakers will receive a gift pack with an iPod Nano.

Organizers of the contest said studies show that teens that view smoking in movies are more likely to start smoking, with estimates that one in three new tobacco users starts because of exposure to on-screen smoking.

“More than 1,000 teens will start smoking today because of what they saw on movie screens,” Dr. Stanton Glantz, director of the Smoke Free Movies project, said in a news release. “Three hundred and forty of them will die early due to a smoking-related disease.”

Organizers noted that 75 percent of PG13-rated movies and 36 percent of G- and PG-rated movies include tobacco use. County officials also cited studies showing that antismoking announcements shown prior to a film “immunizes” youth from the effect of on-screen smoking.

Entries to the contest are being accepted through March 5 at www.facebook.com/ReelChange, and more information is available at the site or by emailing dawn.dunn@sbcphd.org.

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i got an idea : 11/24/2009

Let's have On Patrol beat down a smoker...should make great television. We could sell a lot of "COPS" stuff
while were at it! lol

Boycott Boy

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