[Article] Anti-smoking warnings on new DVDs

Ruu_Old

I don't smoke, don't care if you or anyone else smokes but don't want rubbish ruining my viewing pleasure. ;_; Link here. I would welcome the return of the chap who appeared telling us about the different ratings.

Five major film studios will include anti-smoking warnings on DVDs of films that feature tobacco use.

According to Variety, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros and Disney will place public service announcements on US DVDs of new releases that are rated G, PG and 12A.

Under a new agreement reached in America, public service announcements (PSAs) will begin to appear on newly released DVDs.

For the past year, Walt Disney Studios has had its own programme of anti-smoking PSAs but the studio has also agreed to feature the new warnings.

20th Century Fox already has a separate initiative featuring its own anti-smoking PSAs.

Two of the supporters of the PSAs are California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lisa Paulsen, proxy-CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

Speaking about the studios' response to the warnings, Paulsen said: "They were all incredibly supportive and felt it was the important thing to do and the right thing to do.

"It really helps diminish the role of the cigarette in film."

The PSAs will be shown on DVD before such films as 'The Incredible Hulk', '21' and 'Leatherheads', all of which have scenes of smoking.

The_Minister

I want to hit someone.

Mossy Monk

Hopefully that stays in the states.

Jack B. Badd

God, I hope this only affects Region 1 :-s

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

oh it won't. and it won't be the end of it, pretty soon the movie will be incidental to the watching of a dvd.. they'll start pumping millions into snazzy episodic psa's, disable fast forwarding and pause the movie regularly just for a short quiz to make sure you followed the advertising correctly.

Jack B. Badd

Princess Innocent Knickers wrote: »

oh it won't. and it won't be the end of it, pretty soon the movie will be incidental to the watching of a dvd.. they'll start pumping millions into snazzy episodic psa's, disable fast forwarding and pause the movie regularly just for a short quiz to make sure you followed the advertising correctly.

I won't believe this until I see it on D'Onion.

lostexpectation

can't believe it, ads that you can't skip past like the prirating one.

L31mr0d

whats the big deal, its only for G, PG and 12A movies. Plus I don't have a problem with Anti-smoking PSA's.

I personally think its a great idea, smoking is a big problem and it usually starts as a person enters their teens (how many smokers do you know that started to smoke when they got into their 20's?) By putting these on movies rated for children it at least has a chance of teaching them why not to smoke before they get into their teens.

Jack B. Badd

What's your opinion on anti-piracy ads, L31mr0d?

MisterAnarchy

Clone DVD will come in handy to remove unwanted sections.;)

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

I started smoking in my twenties, and I don't appreciate my movie viewing being ruined because you want to get idiot teenagers off drugs.

Pigman II

Don't mind these public warning ad's so long as they can be skipped with a single click on the remote.

If the government want to make something illegal then it should be dvd's where you can't instantly access the root menu :mad:

Cokehead Mother

L31mr0d wrote: »

whats the big deal, its only for G, PG and 12A movies.

The BBFC gave 66% of DVDs a U, PG or 12 certificate in 2007. "Only" is not an appropriate word! This is not something that will only effect young children! And even if it did, they don't deserve the horrors of unskippable ads either.

L31mr0d wrote: »

I personally think its a great idea, smoking is a big problem and it usually starts as a person enters their teens (how many smokers do you know that started to smoke when they got into their 20's?) By putting these on movies rated for children it at least has a chance of teaching them why not to smoke before they get into their teens.

There isn't a 12 year old in the country who hasn't already been told a lot more about the negative effects of smoking than can be fit into a 45second ad.

Keep this madness on region 1 or let us skip it ffs. :eek:

Jack B. Badd

Pigman II wrote: »

If the government want to make something illegal then it should be dvd's where you can't instantly access the root menu :mad:

God, I'd vote for that!