MEDIA RELEASE

NICK XENOPHON M.L.C.

INDEPENDENT NO POKIES MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

16 March 2005

GOVT’S ACTIONS ON SCREEN SMOKING ARE:

EXTRA MILD

·       Call for SA Government to force tobacco companies to cough-up for cinema anti-smoking ads

Two years after the idea was first pushed for by No Pokies MLC Nick Xenophon to have anti-smoking ads screened in SA cinemas and to have them paid for by tobacco companies, the State Government has finally begun the game of catch up.

The Government’s initiative, in combination with Quit SA, to screen a 30 second anti-smoking commercial from film-maker Kriv Stenders, is welcomed but “does not go far enough”, according to Mr Xenophon.

“During the tobacco legislation debate in Parliament last year the Government knocked down my amendment to have these sort of commercials made a legal requirement to proceed any film that contained smoking and to have these ads paid for by tobacco manufacturers”.

“It really is a case of the Government taking an ‘extra-mild’ approach to countering the messages put out by the predatory and exploitative tobacco industry, whose product placement in movies encourages kids to take up smoking.”

Mr Xenophon referred to a Philip Morris marketing plan, which said:

“We believe that most of the strong, positive images for cigarettes and smoking are created by cinemas and television.  We have seen the heroes smoking in “Wall Street”, “Crocodile Dundee ”, and “Roger Rabbit”.  Mickey Rourke, Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn are forever seen, both on and off the screen, with a lighted cigarette.  It is reasonable to assume that films and personalities have more influence on consumers than a static poster of the letters from a B&H pack hung on a washing line under a dark and stormy sky.  If branded cigarette advertising is to take full advantage of these images, it has to do more than simply achieve package recognition – it has to feed off and exploit the image source”.

Mr. Xenophon said:

“The tobacco industry exploits teenagers who take up smoking as a result of seeing their screen idols light up”

“If the Government recognises the need to counter these smoking messages then they must agree that it should not be left to the taxpayer to foot the bill – it should be left to the tobacco companies who are actually responsible for, or benefit from,  the pro-smoking message in some movies in the first place”.

Written and authorised by Nick Xenophon, 653 Lower North East Road, Paradise, SA 5075