Weinstein Productions to Show Classic truth(R) Ad to Prevent Youth Smoking

Weinstein Productions to Show Classic truth(R) Ad to Prevent Youth Smoking

truth(R) Ad on Clerks II DVD Can Counter Effect of Smoking in Movies, Says Foundation President and CEO Cheryl Healton, Dr. PH.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- In September Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran joined many of his colleagues around the nation in asking movie studios to use ads from the American Legacy Foundation(R)'s truth(R) campaign, which has been proven effective in reducing youth smoking, in DVDs, videos and other home-viewing film formats to counter the negative effect that smoking in the movies can have on American youth.

The Weinstein Company is the first studio to proactively offer to embed a classic truth(R) campaign ad in one of its DVD releases, beginning with one of its most popular - Clerks II, scheduled for a Dec. 5 release - and we applaud them for it. Our hope is that this bold move sets a trend for future Weinstein Company DVD releases and with other key decision makers in Hollywood. It is a simple way to prevent thousands of youth from smoking, and can ultimately reduce the impact of tobacco addiction and premature death that accompany it.

Research has shown that teens are strongly influenced by seeing actors they idolize smoke on screen, regardless of the characters they play. To counteract this effect the attorneys general have repeatedly asked the Motion Picture Association of America and the major studios to show youth smoking prevention public service messages from the foundation's truth(R) campaign before DVDs that contain smoking. The Attorneys General also asked the National Association of Theatre Owners and its members to run such messages in their theatres.

Tobacco remains the number one preventable cause of death in the United States, and 80 percent of adult smokers begin before age 18. truth(R) ads arm young people with the facts about tobacco addiction, the social and health consequences of smoking and truth about the tobacco industry's marketing tactics, empowering them to make informed decisions about tobacco use. And we know that truth(R) works. One study showed that the campaign accelerated the decline in youth smoking between 2000-2002 and that 22 percent of the overall decline in youth smoking during those years can be directly attributed to truth(R).

We commend the Weinstein brothers for championing this issue and for playing a significant role in safeguarding the health of America's youth. We hope that other studios will follow their lead and join us in building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.

The American Legacy Foundation(R) 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, youth activism, strategic partnerships, counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns, research, public relations, and outreach to populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco. The foundation's national programs include truth(R), Great Start(R) and a Priority Populations Initiative. 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 US territories and the tobacco industry. Visit http://www.americanlegacy.org/.

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Source: American Legacy Foundation

CONTACT: Julia Cartwright of American Legacy Foundation, +1-202-454-5596,
jcartwright@americanlegacy.org

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

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