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Students Rate Movies On Smoking Message

Officials Say Smoking In Movies Adds To Probability Of Tobacco Use

POSTED: 1:20 pm HST March 19, 2004

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Handed out their own golden statuettes Friday for the best and worst movies in their use of tobacco. It was the annual "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" awards... recognizing the films for it's smoking or anti-smoking message.

It may have won an Oscar, but at Friday's Hackademy Awards "Lost In Translation" got a thumbs down for what students said was a glamorized message of smoking.

"It portrays tobacco as a connection with friendship and that's very wrong," Waipahu High School student Jonathan Valdez said.

This is the sixth year high school students from 11 schools statewide took in Oscar nominated films as well as popular teen movies and critiqued their messages on smoking, giving it an either a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Mona Lisa Smile got a thumbs down for it's high smoking content.

"I give Seabiscuit a thumbs up. Although there are scenes in which people are seen smoking in the film, I believe it only enhances the historical accuracy of the movie," Valdez said.

Health officials said the entertainment industry plays a significant role in influencing young people in terms of tobacco use.

"If they see smoking they may think that, 'If I smoke too, I'll be as smart as them. I'll be as cool as them. I might be a star,'" Valdez said.

A number of movies got the thumbs up for its anti-smoking message, such as "The Perfect Score" and "Dirty Dancing."

A study by researchers at Dartmouth Medical School suggests that children who had viewed the most smoking in movies were three times as likely to start smoking as those who had seen the least.

Although a thumbs up or down by these critics may not sway ticket sales, state health officials said it's one way to get young people to not light up.

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