American Legacy Foundation(R) Releases New Data on Smoking in the Movies

American Legacy Foundation(R) Releases New Data on Smoking in the Movies

Researchers Discuss Link Between Tobacco Depiction
in Film and Youth Starting to Smoke

WHAT: The American Legacy Foundation(R) will release new research,
First Look Report: Trends in Top Box Office Movie Tobacco Use
1996 - 2004, about the prevalence of smoking in movies popular
with youth. Also, information about how movie smoking affects
the uptake of youth smoking will be presented. The data will be
released during a panel discussion at the World Conference on
Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) in Washington, D.C.

WHO: James Sargent, M.D., Dartmouth Medical School, lead researcher
of Legacy's new First Look Report
Keilah Worth, Ph.D., Dartmouth Medical School and co-author of
Legacy's First Look Report
Ruth Malone, R.N., Ph.D., University of California-San Francisco
Stan Glantz, Ph.D., University of California-San Francisco

WHEN & Thursday (7/13), 10:30 a.m. to noon
WHERE: Washington Convention Center, Ballroom A
801 Mount Vernon Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Metro: Mount Vernon Square/Convention Center (Yellow or Green)

WHY: The American Legacy Foundation is a national public health
foundation that seeks to prevent young people from starting
smoking, and build a world where anyone can quit. In November
of last year, the foundation joined with Dr. Sargent to release
a study finding that 38 percent of youth smoking initiation can
be traced to exposure to smoking in movies. The new data will
build on those findings.

Since more than 80 percent of smokers start before age 18, it is
critical to reach teens before they start to smoke. The
foundation works to provide youth with information about tobacco
and how it is marketed through efforts such as its national
truth(R) youth smoking prevention campaign. truth(R) is
recognized for accelerating the decline in youth smoking by 22
percent between the years 2000 and 2002.

The 13th WCTOH (July 12 - 15) brings together the international
tobacco control community and will feature the latest research
on the science of the health effects of tobacco, addiction,
cessation, public policy, secondhand smoke and smokeless
tobacco.

The American Legacy Foundation is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use through grants, technical assistance and training, research, youth activism, strategic partnerships, counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns, public relations, and outreach to populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco. The foundation's national programs include Circle of Friends(R), Great Start(R), a Priority Populations Initiative, Streetheory(R) and truth(R). The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit http://www.americanlegacy.org/.

CONTACT: Midy Aponte of the American Legacy Foundation(R), +1-202-454-5561, or maponte@americanlegacy.com.

PRNewswire -- July 11

Source: American Legacy Foundation

Web site: http://www.americanlegacy.org/

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