Smoking in film in New Zealand: measuring risk exposure

The ten highest-grossing films in New Zealand for 2003 were each analysed independently by two viewers for smoking, smoking references and related imagery. Potential interventions were explored by reviewing relevant New Zealand legislation, and scientific literature.Seven of the ten films contained at least one tobacco reference, similar to larger film samples. The majority of the 38 tobacco references involved characters smoking, most of whom were male. Smoking was associated with positive character traits, notably rebellion (which may appeal to adolescents). There appeared to be a low threshold for including smoking in film. Legislative or censorship approaches to smoking in film are currently unlikely to succeed. Anti-smoking advertising before films has promise, but experimental research is required to demonstrate cost effectiveness.Smoking in film warrants concern from public health advocates. In New Zealand, pre-film anti-smoking advertising appears to be the most promising immediate policy response.The majority of adult smoking is initiated during adolescence. In the United States, 89% of 30–39 year-old regular smokers began smoking before the age of 18 [1]. In a New Zealand cohort, the prevalence of adolescent smoking increased from near nil at nine years to adult rates by age 18 [2]. The majority of New Zealand smokers start smoking before completing year 10 at school (14–15 years old) [3,4]. It appears that New Zealand children and adolescents enter into nicotine addiction without sufficient knowledge of its nature [5], and are likely to have no real knowledge at all of the speed or irreversibility of nicotine addiction [6-8]. Thus, factors that influence child and adolescent smoking uptake are important targets for smoke-free advocates.One factor that may increase smoking uptake by New Zealand adolescents is the prominent and excessive portrayal of smoking in film and other mass media [9]. The majority of 14–17 year old New Zealanders are at least annual