There’ll be lots of family fun in store this Saturday night at the Fair Grounds Recreation Complex in Strathroy. That’s when the Middlesex-London Health Unit and the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc are hosting this summer’s outdoor Smoke-Free Movie Night, the third time the event is being held in the town. This year’s feature is Disney’s 2016 animated hit film Moana. While the film begins at dusk, families are encouraged to arrive early and take part in the games and activities that get underway at 5:00 p.m.
Smoke-Free Movie Night is part of the effort by the Health Unit, its One Life One You youth advocacy group and the municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc to spread the word that smoking in youth-rated movies is not okay.
“The smoking shown in movies rated for children and youth happens more frequently than it does in real life and movies rarely show the devastating health impacts from tobacco addiction. That’s a big concern for us, because when kids see on-screen tobacco use, it increases the risk they’ll start to smoke,” says Linda Stobo, Manager of the Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control Team. “That’s why we’re urging parents and caregivers to add their voices to our campaign. They can show their support by signing a petition calling for changes to Ontario’s movie rating system, they can send an e-mail directly to their local MPPs by visiting www.smokefreemovies.ca, and they can talk to their kids about tobacco product placement and marketing.”
A study conducted by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU) that looked at onscreen tobacco use in top-grossing films released between 2004 and 2016 found that 86% of the movies depicting tobacco use were youth-rated in Ontario. Not surprisingly, additional research in this area has also shown that the more children and youth see smoking in movies, the more likely they are to start using tobacco themselves. For several years, the Health Unit and many other health organizations and agencies have been raising the alarm about this important issue. By implementing regulatory changes to the Ontario Film Classification Act, all new movies containing tobacco use would be given an adult rating of 18A, eradicating smoking, tobacco use and tobacco industry product branding from youth-rated films.
The current Environment Canada forecast for Strathroy calls for a sunny, clear day on Saturday, with a high of 22 degrees Celcius and a low of nine degrees Celsius. Families planning to attend the Smoke-Free Movie Night are encouraged to dress warmly and to bring lawn chairs, blankets and snacks. In the event of poor weather, the Smoke-Free Movie Night will be cancelled, with a rain date of Friday, September 1, 2017.
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Milne, Executive Assistant to the Board of Health and Communications, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-663-5317 extension 2448 or 519-617-0564 (cell.)
Spokesperson:
Linda Stobo, Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control Manager