[Intl-tobacco] Tobacco brands in Indian movies nearly triple after advertising ban

[robert weissman]

1. News release on study showing "tobacco brands in Indian movies nearly
triple after advertising ban"
2. Abstract of study

Full text and video at:
http://www.burningbrain.org/tobaccoinmovies/

1. News release

Tobacco brands in Indian movies nearly triple after advertising ban

January 17, 2006

Despite film industry promises to self-police tobacco promotion on
screen, tobacco brands popped up in more than 40 percent of Indian films
released since 2004. That is almost triple the 15 percent incidence
observed before the enforcement of a comprehensive ban on tobacco
advertising, promotion and sponsorship. As per the research study by the
Chandigarh based NGO, Burning Brain Society and supported by WHO, 89
percent of the films released and analyzed after the tobacco advertising
ban included generic or branded tobacco imagery. This is significantly
up from the 76 percent of Indian films with tobacco as reported by the
WHO study in 2003.

"Indian films are being turned into blatant cigarette commercials," says
the study's lead investigator, Hemant Goswami, chairperson of the
Burning Brain Society, "Along with anecdotal testimony one hears about
product placements and payoffs, sheer numbers tell us that tobacco
companies recently barred from advertising their products through other
forms of mass media are rushing to use motion pictures instead."

Though cigarettes are consumed by about 15 to 20 percent of the tobacco
users in India, but in over 90% of the movies containing tobacco scenes,
the leading man or woman in Indian films is shown consuming cigarettes.
Almost all the brand placement and visibility is of two cash rich
multinationals and an Indian tobacco company who are currently fighting
for a larger market share in India.

The new study is especially timely because the Indian government, which
ratified the global Framework on Tobacco Control and legislated a
stringent tobacco advertising ban in 2004, has announced regulations
clearing almost all tobacco imagery from future films and broadcast
programs. The burst of tobacco brands display in films after the
advertising ban went into effect challenges the Indian film industry
claims that it can be trusted to =93self-regulate=94. The film survey also
found that 31 percent of recent Indian movies showing tobacco actually
mocked or contradicted health warnings. Fully a third of the films
explicitly promoted tobacco use in a very subtle way.

To gauge the effect of this on-screen hype, the study surveyed more than
1,100 children, adolescents and young adults. One in three of these were
able to recall seeing a particular tobacco brand in an Indian film. The
study reports that exposure to smoking in movies promotes tobacco as a
normal behaviour and associates it with style and glamour which creates
sufficient influence on many youngsters and arise a desire in them to
smoke. This is even noticeable in the attitude of some youngsters who
have still not experimented with tobacco but admitted imitating smoking
behaviour of the movie characters, thinking it to be fashionable and
imitable. Nearly 60 percent of the children and youngsters admitted
using articles like pen or pencil akin a cigarette in their hand in
emulation of some movie actor smoking. On the issue of creativity, an
overwhelming 96 percent said that tobacco's absence from a film would
not lessen the film's quality or make them less eager to see it. Health
advocates have warned that India's liberalized economy having a 500
million population under 18 is an irresistible target for multinational
tobacco companies.

The report includes recommendations that go beyond the government's
current proposals to limit tobacco imagery. For example, the study
proposes unambiguous action under Section 5 of the Indian legislation
=93Cigarette and other tobacco products Act 2003=94 which has a provision o=
f
imprisonment up to five years for advertising tobacco. The action is
recommended against the tobacco companies, all the film companies,
producers, actors and directors who have shown tobacco products, brands
or pack shots amounting to indirect promotion and advertising in their
movies after the enactment of the anti-tobacco legislation.

"While Indian producers and directors argued for so-called =93creative
freedom,=94 giant tobacco companies have turned a medium of creativity and
entertainment into a promoter of a lethal chemical addiction. Bollywood
has a fan following in millions and if the film industry wants it can
save millions of lives; it can actually reverse the cycle by deciding to
support the health initiative by blocking the scientifically incorrect
images about tobacco use and by actually projecting the fatal
consequences of tobacco. Bollywood is fully aware of tobacco imagery's
impact on adolescents, the age group most vulnerable to smoking appeals,
and can actually help check the 2200 people dying every day because of
tobacco=92s chemical addiction. It can also lend a hand to prevent over
5000 children from taking to tobacco every day,=94 says Mr. Hemant Goswani.

=93There can be no freedom to misguide children and youngsters. No one can
be allowed to circumvent the law and push a chemical addiction by
promoting tobacco brands and scientifically incorrect messages in the
name of freedom of speech,=94 added Hemant.

The Burning Brain findings are in agreement with other international
researches like the 2003 WHO study on =93Portrayal of tobacco in Indian
cinema its impact on youth audience=94 which found that youth behaviour is
highly influenced by mainstream movies. Similarly the M. A. Dalton, et.
al. study on =93Effect of viewing smoking in movies on adolescent smoking
initiation=94 published in The Lancet (2003) also reported that 52.2% of
smoking initiation can be attributed to exposure to smoking in movies.
Another important recent study by Dr. Sargent (Publiched in Pediatrics,
2005) and yet another by Dr. Stanton S. Glantz of University of
California also reported that smoking in movies is a major risk factor
for smoking initiation among adolescents. These all studies agree that
limiting exposure of young adolescents to smoking scenes in movies can
prevent a sizeable number of youngsters from initiating tobacco consumption=
.

2. Study abstract

     Abstract



Objective:

India ratified the FCTC in February 2004 and also enacted legislation
called =93Cigarette and other tobacco products Act 2003=94 which
specifically called for an end to direct and indirect form of tobacco
advertisements. Since the enactment of the legislation, the tobacco
companies are prohibited from any kind of advertisement. Are the tobacco
companies resorting to covert form of advertisement which included
product placement in Indian movies? Are myths about tobacco use being
promoted through movies? This study attempts to study the actual
incidents of tobacco use in the Indian movies after 2003 and also to
have a snapshot view of the influence it creates on young peoples mind
so as to understand the actual impact of smoking/tobacco images on
youngsters.
Methods:

A qualitative analysis of hundred and ten movies released in 2004 and
2005 was done. All the movies were watched by trained volunteers to
identify the instances of brand visibility in Indian movies. The
association of tobacco with glamour, style and emotions like stress was
also analyzed. The specific instances where statements facilitating
tobacco consumption and situations where the warning about consumption
of cigarette was mocked also recorded and noted down. Response from 1126
youngsters was collected through a survey questionnaire to understand
the impact of movies on the minds of these people and their opinion.
Trained volunteers from the same age-group were used for the exercise.
Results:

It was found that the instances of showing smoking/tobacco use in movies
have increased significantly to 89% of all movies released in 2004 and
2005. The brand placement has been also increased nearly three folds.
Tobacco brands now appear in 46% of movies having tobacco scenes.
Cigarette companies have almost all the tobacco product placements with
two companies accounting for over 90% of the brand visibility.
Association of tobacco with glamour and style has also been established.
75% of movies having tobacco also showed the main/lead character
consuming tobacco. The instances of females consuming tobacco in movies
has also increased in India pointing towards a specific market expansion
strategy by tobacco companies using movies as a vehicle. It was found
that the general public does not feel that banning tobacco scenes in the
movie will affect their decision to watch movies or the quality of
movies. A large section of people admitted being influenced by movies
which could be found in their behaviour like a desire to hold a
cigarette or articles akin a cigarette. It was found that favourable
images through mass media created a considerable influence on youngsters
and increased their receptivity to tobacco use.