[The smoke free movies initiative in the United States].

Movies influence fashion, lifestyles, and represent smoking as an acceptable behaviour. In fact the greatest tobacco companies built relationships with Hollywood's actors and producers, in order to show smoking and cigarette brands in films. All over the world laws have been developed, in order to restrict smoking and tobacco advertising. Films showing tobacco do not violate these laws, even in those states where tobacco advertising is restricted. Moreover, films are better than any other commercial advertisements because the audience is total unconscious of the sponsor's involvement. Stanton Glantz, Medicine Professor at San Francisco University, is the voice of the movement for smoke-free movies. A lot of studies show that cigarette smoking is more frequently in '90s movies than in 60's and 70's movies. The smoking actors seem to be attractive, strong, healthy and successful. Films showing smoking influence tomorrow's customers: adolescents. Teenagers watching "smoking films" are the most exposed to start smoking. Hence the need to educate Hollywood industry, in order to have smoke-free movies.