The 4 Solutions

The on-screen usage of tobacco in Hollywood films poses one of the greatest threats to the long term health of children 10 and older. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has named tobacco imagery in movies as a major factor in adolescent smoking initiation.

Screen Out! is a three year public awareness campaign with the ultimate goal of getting tobacco out of youth-rated films. The campaign seeks to gain national support through petitions, endorsements and letter writing. Getting tobacco out of youth-rated films is necessary for safeguarding the health of our nation’s children.

	Rate New Movies with Smoking “R” Any film that shows or implies tobacco should be rated “R”. The only exceptions should be when the presentation of tobacco clearly and unambiguously reflects the dangers and consequences of tobacco use or is necessary to represent the smoking of a real historical figure.
	Certify No Pay-Offs Screen Out! aims to get the studios to certify that no one involved in the motion picture benefits in any way from having tobacco in the film. Certification will give producers an incentive to keep the influence of the tobacco industry at bay and still preserve their freedom to include tobacco in any R-rated film.
	Require Strong Anti-Smoking Ads Showing strong anti-tobacco ads before any movie with tobacco effectively interrupts the fantasy of movies and makes audiences think critically about the promotion of tobacco use on-screen. Audiences will still be just as willing to enjoy the film.
	Stop Identifying Tobacco Brands No matter what creative explanation is given for smoking on-screen, there is no reason for brands to be shown or promoted. Every time a tobacco brand appears in a movie, it is treated unlike any other brand appearance which must be cleared with the manufacturer before becoming part of a film.