A Liverpool group of young campaigners won praise from one of the world'ss leading smokefree experts, at a major conference.
American Prof Stanton Glantz - whose keynote speech on smoking in movies revealed new evidence that British young people are exposed to more smoking images than their American counterparts - said that the work of D-MYST had been an example to the rest of the country.
"Their campaigning around Toxic Movies has helped put Liverpool at the forefront of this issue. The city is leading the way in tackling smoking in youth-rated movies - which is an extremely powerful influence on young people to start smoking," he said, at the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference.
The Professor called four members of D-MYST (Ailene Whitehead, Danielle Owens, Joe Whitehead and Gina Byrne) onto the conference stage, where delegates gave them a round of applause.
Eilidh McCluskie, the D-MYST Programme Manager, said: "For the young people to hear this kind of praise from someone as eminent in their field as Prof Glantz was a great accolade for them."
The youngsters's campaign links to the city Primary Care Trust'ss approach to the City Council to consider using local powers to rate 'ssmoking movies's as suitable for 18-and-over viewing only. The Council has just started a consultation on the proposal, and will decide later in the year whether to become the first city in England to take this kind of action.
Prof Glantz is Director of the Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco.
Prof Glantz'ss release:
From 2001-2006, 91% of UK’s top box office films with smoking were youth-rated, exposing British youth to substantially more tobacco imagery in youth-rated films than American youth receive from such films. This research is particularly timely in light of the strong evidence that onscreen smoking causes young people to smoke.
On June 1, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for permanent and substantial reduction in adolescent exposure to on-screen smoking, including using film ratings to concentrate future smoking in adult-rated films.
However, new data indicates that in Britain the film industry-funded British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), far from giving smoking an 18-rating, down-rates nearly 80% of US films rated “R” (adult) in the US to UK “15” or lower for the UK market, boosting UK adolescents’ exposure to tobacco imagery and elevating their risk of starting to smoke.
Liverpool has responded to the BBFC’s failure by initiating a consultation on using local licensing authority to apply “18” ratings to future smoking films. The WHO report comments favorably on Liverpool initiatives.
US film and tobacco industries have a long, documented history of commercial collaboration to promote smoking. About half of all new teen smokers in the US are credited to exposure to smoking on screen. Onscreen smoking as a promoter of youth smoking is likely even more important in Britain than the US, because British youth are exposed to higher levels of smoking in films and there is little conventional cigarette advertising in the UK.
ENDS
Dr. Glantz can be reached through the conference organizers or by calling him at 07805 731 513. Background on the smoking movie issue is online at http://smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu.The WHO report is available at http://www.who.int/tobacco/smoke_free_movies/en/.
*The UK National Smoking Cessation Conference is at the Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre. It is the world'ss largest gathering of stop smoking practitioners, policy makers and researchers. This is the leading forum for discussion of evidence based service delivery, and community innovations to help people stop smoking. For more information visit www.uknscc.org
Further media information from Roger Kenyon on 07843 243 915/0151 706 9932.
Liverpool’s successful smokefree campaigning has been highlighted in a major global report.
SmokeFree Liverpool and city youth group D-MYST both come under the spotlight for their work around smoking in films, in a World Health Organisation report published this week – which calls for an end to smoking in films that can be seen by under-18s. Liverpool is the only city to be highlighted in this way.
The report is published at the same time as Liverpool councillors are about to consider whether to start a consultation process on the issue in the city – with the option of using local powers to rate movies.
The WHO report, which is circulated to public health agencies across the world, focuses on the experience of campaigners in India and the USA, as well as Liverpool.
The report details the ‘leading role’ taken by the city in raising awareness of the issue of smoking in youth-rated movies, and focuses on its communications strategy.
“To have our work mentioned in such an important document is a great testimonial to the work the partners have put in to this campaign,” said Gideon Ben-Tovim, Chair of Liverpool Primary Care Trust and Joint Chair of the SmokeFree Liverpool Stakeholder Group. “We knew that our work had had an impact in the UK, and it’s very gratifying to see that an international audience is now being made aware of it.
“In particular, the young people in D-MYST have played a crucial role in the campaign, building strong links with their counterparts in the USA, and they deserve a lot of credit for this.”
The report – Smokefree movies: from evidence to action – says ‘a comprehensive approach to combating smoking imagery in film is required. It is clear that restrictions of smoking imagery in movies with wide global distribution will serve a larger, multi-national public good’.
“I would hope that the messages from this report will be heard across the world and action taken to keep smoking out of movies which can be seen by young people,” said Dr Paula Grey, Director of Public Health.
“There is clear evidence that seeing smoking images on the screen is a very powerful influence on young people to start smoking – with all the implications that has for their future health.
“Taking smoking out of films that can be seen by under-18s is a simple step which would save many lives.”
Liverpool was in the Cannes Film Festival spotlight - with a smokefree message to movie-makers.
City film company North Star Productions had their film ‘Charlie Noades RIP’ accepted by the festival, where it was shown to an international audience.
And that global movie audience got the message about taking smoking out of youth-rated films.
North Star reshot a scene in the film which contained smoking, as a result of their work with Liverpool youth group D-MYST - who pointed out the effect smoking has on young people when they see it on the silver screen. The film, which is expected to receive a PG or 12 rating, is now smokefree.
North Star Producer Tony Fitzmaurice said: "We re-wrote a script and re-worked a scene so that our film didn’t include tobacco imagery. We fully support D-MYST’s objectives in terms of removing unnecessary shots that glamorise smoking in movies that are watched by young people and were pleased to be able to adapt Charlie Noades RIP. In fact - although it was a creative challenge we successfully overcame it and the comic scene in question is actually funnier as a result."
Eilidh McCluskie, D-MYST Programme Manager, added: "There’s no doubt smoking in films is a big influence on young people, and leads many of them to take up the habit - with terrible effects on their future health.
"We are campaigning to get smoking out of films which can be seen by young people, and we were delighted when North Star took this decision. We just want to get the message over to all the other film-makers out there.
"There is almost never any reason for smoking to be in a film. So why put it in?"
On top of the World - that's Liverpool's pioneering smokefree youth group D-MYST.
The young campaigners have been presented with the World Health Organisation's No Tobacco Day award - given to those who make a powerful impact on tobacco issues - as one of only two UK winners.
"This is recognition from one of the most influential health organisations in the world of the hard work young people have been doing in this city to raise issues around smoking," said Gideon Ben-Tovim, Chair of Liverpool Primary Care Trust and Joint Chair of the SmokeFree Liverpool Stakeholder Group.
D-MYST - Direct Movement by the Youth Smokefree Team - has been a powerful force in Liverpool's campaign to protect children and young people from others' smoke.
They are backing the SmokeFree Liverpool 'Scary Movies' bid to take smoking out of youth-rated films, and staged a national training event earlier this year - as well as lobbying the British Board of Film Classification.
Celebrity guests, including Carley Stenson from Hollyoaks – the TV drama which does not feature smoking - attended the event at a city restaurant, when Regional Tobacco Policy Manager Andrea Crossfield made the formal presentation of the WHO award.
D-MYST member Danielle Owens said: "It is just brilliant to win an award like this for our campaigning. Protecting children and young people from others’ smoke is something we all feel very strongly about and we are going to carry on lobbying for a smokefree environment for young people."
ENDS
For more information contact Roger Kenyon on 0151 706 9932 or 07843 243915, or visit: www.d-myst.info
NOTES TO EDITOR
D-MYST (Direct Movement by the Youth Smokefree Team) is a smokefree movement run by and for young people in Liverpool that gives young people a chance to air their views and concerns on tobacco and to take action against the tobacco industry to de-normalise and de-glamorise smoking.
For more information visit www.d-myst.info
Youngsters from Liverpool are taking their anti-smoking messages into Europe this week.
Delegates from D-MYST – SmokeFree Liverpool’s young activists – and ATYC, an initiative from the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, are going to Brussels to make presentations to MEPs, as part of a two-day visit organised by SmokeFree Northwest.
D-MYST will be calling on the MEPs to support their Scary Movies campaign, and will be discussing the impact that smoking in films has on young people, while the ATYC team are making a presentation about Tobacco Farming.
“This is a great opportunity to reach and influence the people who are ultimately responsible for tobacco control policy across Europe,” said Eilidh McCluskie, D-MYST Programme Manager.
“The statistics around smoking in movies, and the influence it has on young people, are horrifying, and we are determined to get over the message that smoking should be taken out of youth-rated movies across the board.”
Lisa Gill, Youth Project Manager of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “Despite the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children and young people continue to be actively engaged in tobacco farming, globally. The sole purpose of the tobacco industry is to make a profit even at the expense of the young."
Chris Widdowson, founder member of ATYC, will be rallying support from the MEPs to endorse a public awareness campaign to highlight this injustice. " It is totally unacceptable that these young kids are working on tobacco plantations with dangerous equipment and pesticides instead of going to school and getting an education. The tobacco industry just doesn’t care."
During the trip D-MYST and ATYC will be also be presenting a petition to the North West MEPs showing young people’s support for measures being put in place to stop tobacco marketing to children and they will also meet members of the EU youth forum.
“While Liverpool has more problems caused by tobacco than virtually any other part of Europe, every community needs to be proactive in tackling tobacco control, and every politician needs to be made aware of the issues. That’s why this is an important opportunity,” added D-MYST member Joe Whitehead, 16.
Further information from Eilidh McCluskie on 07848 449 939 or Roger Kenyon on 0151 706 9966/07843 243 915.
Young smokefree campaigners will be holding an Oscars party - and protest - in Liverpool next week.
For figures to be released by experts in America show that every one of the films nominated for an Oscar this year features smoking.
And Liverpool’s own young activists, D-MYST, whose national training event on youth advocacy starts on Monday, will be using the event to focus on film-makers’ continuing use of tobacco images in films.
The two-day event is designed to train young people from across the country in campaign techniques and setting up their own groups – and will feature an Oscars-style red carpet event on Tuesday evening, when awards will be handed out.
“The analysis from the States comes at a perfect time, coinciding with our Oscars party, and we will be looking at the way the film industry continues to use smoking in films, and influences young people to start smoking,” said Eilidh McCluskie, D-MYST Programme Manager.
“These statistics show that the film industry is still portraying smoking in youth-rated films which will be seen by hundreds of millions of people across the world – in complete defiance of the evidence that says smoking on the screen is the biggest influence on young people to start smoking.”
More than 100 delegates are expected at the training event, which focuses on how to set up a youth movement like D-MYST.
“We will be asking the delegates to register their dismay at the film industry’s lack of action over this issue.
“Young people are tired of being treated as targets by the film-makers and the tobacco industry, who use all kinds of techniques to get them to start smoking – an addiction which will kill half of those who take it up,” added Ms McCluskie. “So while we will be enjoying our own Oscars party, we’ll be giving the ‘real’ Oscars the thumbs-down.”
The training event is being staged at the Radisson Hotel on February 16 and 17.
Smokefree campaigners from Liverpool took a musical message to the capital – to win support to get smoking out of youth-rated movies.
Young people from D-MYST, the Liverpool-based youth activists organisation, travelled to London to stage a protest outside the offices of the British Board of Film Classification. And, as a way of grabbing attention for their Scary Movies protest, they staged a dance performance outside the BBFC offices. “Taking along the dancers from MD Producations really worked,” said Danielle Maloney, Acting D-Myst Programme Manager. “There were scores of people watching – including staff from the BBFC.”
DMYST have approached the BBFC to try to arrange a meeting to discuss the issue of smoking in youth-rated movies – so far without success. They handed in a letter asking for a meeting in the near future, and are awaiting a response. “Smoking in movies is the single biggest influence on young people who take up smoking,” added Ms Maloney. “Taking smoking scenes out of new movies which can be seen by under-18s is one of the simplest measures that could be taken to stop young people starting smoking, and becoming addicted to a habit which could kill them.”
The BBFC has the power to rate movies as ‘18’ if they contain scenes which could harm the audience. SmokeFree Liverpool has also asked the BBFC to use its powers – arguing that 3,300 young people in Liverpool are currently smoking because of images they have seen on the silver screen.
“We think this measure makes a great deal of sense and would save thousands of lives. We are not saying that old films should be re-rated – simply that new films which contain smoking should not be seen by under-18s. How simple a proposal is that,” said Gideon Ben -Tovim, Chair of Liverpool PCT and Joint Chair of SmokeFree Liverpool Stakeholder Group .
In 2006, D-MYST launched their SmokeFree Stadia campaign with the aim of making Everton and Liverpool FC’s stadiums 100% smokefree.
The smokefree legislation proposed at the time did not include sports stadiums as they were classed as not enclosed spaces. However D-MYST and many other young people disagreed with this stating that when they went to a match if someone around them smoked it not only was bad for their health but ruined their enjoyment of the game.
DMYST dedicated their summer holidays to the smokefree stadia campaign by attending events across the city and asking people to signing up and support smokefree stadiums.
More than 8000 people signed the petition in support which D-MYST presented at Anfield stadium.
As a result of the campaign not only were D-MYST mentioned in the DoH consultation response but when the smokefree legislation came into place on the 1st of July 2007 all stadiums were declared smokefree.
D-MYST with Juice FM will be visiting secondary schools across Liverpool with a new play about smoking and young people called ‘The Truth Factory’.
The play exposes the truth about the tobacco industry and how young people have been and still are targeted with smoking messages by the tobacco companies.
‘The Truth Factory’ will be hosted by the Juice FM crew. Look out for it in your school!
If you would like the play to come to your school email Juice FM at jonathan.jacob@juiceliverpool.com
Be in with the chance to win prizes with DMYST and Juice by answering our online survey at www.juicefm.com/dmyst
