Cigarettes in films cause teens to begin smoking

TOBACCO promotions and depictions of smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking, according to a sweeping report on tobacco in the media.

The report by the American National Cancer Institute found the tobacco industry spent more than $13 billion (€8.78bn) on smoking-related advertising and promotion in 2005. These efforts boosted overall tobacco use, contradicting industry claims that they are intended to build brand loyalty.

Dr Ronald Davis, senior scientific editor of the report and past president of the American Medical Association, said: “This is the first government report to present definitive conclusions that, number one, tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use in the population.”