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[fly_with_me_dumbo]

from bbc

The Disney Studio has pledged to remove smoking from its family-oriented films.
The media giant's chief executive Robert A Iger said depictions of smoking in future Disney-branded films would be "non-existent".

And smoking will be "discouraged" in films aimed at adults released under its Touchstone and Miramax banners.

Mr Iger made the promise in a letter to US congressman Edward Markey. DVDs that show cigarettes will also carry anti-smoking announcements, he added.

Mr Markey described the move as "groundbreaking" and commended Mr Iger for "this important commitment".

  We hope it's the beginning of a domino effect as other studios come into line

Martin Dockrell
Anti-smoking group Ash
"I am pleased that Disney is embracing a policy that is consistent with the long-term public health of the nation," he said.

"Now it's time for other media companies to similarly kick the habit and follow Disney's lead."

Mr Markey, chairman of the House Telecommunications Subcommittee, recently held a hearing on the images children see on screen.

He used it to call on media companies to join the anti-smoking effort. In his letter, Mr Iger said the Walt Disney Company shared his concern.

Martin Dockrell, a spokesman for UK anti-smoking group Ash, called the move "a really important first step".

  Removing these kinds of incentives is enormously important

Ellen Vargya
The American Legacy Foundation
"We hope it's the beginning of a domino effect as other studios come into line," he told the BBC News website.

US anti-tobacco organisation The American Legacy Foundation said the announcement was "a good, solid step".

"The research is very clear that images of smoking in the media are a very large recruiter of teen smokers," the organisation's general counsel Ellen Vargya said.

"They have a very powerful impact, accounting for close to 400,000 youth smokers a year. So removing these kinds of incentives is enormously important."

Smoking has been rarely shown in Disney's family-oriented films in recent years, although the company has not always been so health-conscious.

In 1961's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, for example, the villainous Cruella De Vil is rarely seen without a cigarette holder in her mouth.

In May, the Motion Picture Association of America, the US film ratings board, pledged to take smoking into account when classifying movies.

[Kristof]

Trying to imagine Cruella De Ville with a nicotine patch.  :idea:

[fly_with_me_dumbo]

Trying to imagine Cruella De Ville with a nicotine patch.  :idea:

its part of her character lol, but oh well they'll only put a warning on the dvd

[peep]

I believe what they are going to do is just cut smoking out of every release after this announcement and add a new message at the beginning of the DVDs. So basically DVDs are going to take longer to get to the actual film, great! Thats all we need, more annoying material before the feature. I hope thats what it means, thats how I read it on BBCi last night. If they actually cut smoking out of past films I think they could ruin some of the atmosphere within that scene etc, maybe the whole film. As fly_with_me_dumbo said, its part of Cruella's character, they can't take that away.