Brooks Boliek, Reuters
Published: Thursday, July 26, 2007
Mickey Mouse went cold turkey Wednesday when the Walt Disney Co. told an influential U.S. congressman that it will ban smoking from its films.
Disney president and CEO Robert Iger told Ed Markey, that concerns raised by the lawmaker about cinemas influence on underage smoking prompted the action. Disney also plans to place anti-smoking ads on DVDs of films in which the actors light up.
While Disneys announcement made a big splash, it is not the only studio taking action. Universal Studios quietly adopted a more restrictive policy on smoking in April.
The Walt Disney Co. shares your concern regarding deaths due to cigarette smoking, Iger wrote to Markey. We discourage depictions of cigarette smoking in Disney, Touchstone and Miramax films. In particular, we expect that depictions of cigarette smoking in future Disney-branded films will be nonexistent.
Disney films are aimed at the family audience. Miramax and Touchstone tend to make more adult-oriented fare.
The move was welcomed by Markey, who has been a leading anti-smoking force in Congress.
Disneys decision to take a stand against smoking is groundbreaking, and I commend CEO Bob Iger for this important commitment, Markey said. Now its time for other media companies to similarly kick the habit and follow Disneys lead.
Smoking in the movies is one of several areas in which the entertainment industry has been under pressure from Washington. Lawmakers and regulators are also pressing for them to promote healthier foods and cut down on violence and foul language.
Disneys move comes after the MPAA ratings board said in May that it would add smoking as a criterion. The MPAA, however, specifically said historic or other mitigating context would be considered. That caveat has caused complaints over the PG rating awarded the new musical Hairspray despite a few brief depictions of smoking in the New Line movie, set in the early 1960s.
A Universal executive said Universal didnt publicize the implementation of its nonsmoking policy because it wanted to prove that it was serious about the move and not just making a public relations statement.
As a baseline, Universal Pictures presumes that no smoking incidents should appear in any youth-rated film produced by Universal or any wholly owned Universal Studios film label and released in the U.S., its policy states.
The studio does allow smoking if there is a compelling creative or historical reason, but its policy also states that a film with a smoking incident will contain a health warning in certain distribution channels. This warning may appear in or on materials or elements such as end credits, DVD content and packaging and marketing materials.
Universal president and CEO Ron Meyer said the studio is committed to reducing the health risk connected with smoking.
We hope that our decreased portrayals of smoking and smoking paraphernalia in youth-oriented movies will help reduce the incidence of smoking among young people, he said. If smoking is included in a youth-rated film released by Universal, we will include a health warning in our distribution channels. We feel it is important to use our influence to help stem a serious health problem in the U.S. and around the world. We believe its possible to do that while respecting filmmakers creative choices, and we are committed to partnering with them in this effort.
© Reuters 2007
isney also plans to place anti-smoking ads on DVDs of films in which the actors light up.
