In 1998, in the landmark Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco industry and several state governments, tobacco companies agreed not to pay for product placement in various forms of media, including movies, TV, theater, and video games.
A new study published this week in JAMA Pediatrics shows that this policy did indeed significantly diminish the role of tobacco in movies.
That's good for health advocates who warn about the portrayal of drugs in film, which several studies link to use by children. According to the surgeon general, youth who get the most exposure to onscreen smoking are about twice as likely to begin smoking as those with the least exposure.
