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OBJECTIVE: Movies are among the most widely used media for advertising, promotional, and sponsorship activities of the tobacco industry, and the industry has been making huge investments in this sector for many years. In this study, the effects of movie scenes depicting the use of tobacco products, and the possible effects of the laws governing such scenes, were examined.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample of the study consisted of 50 films, the first 2 of which were the most watched each year, between the years 1992 and 2016, according to the data of the Center for Turkish Cinema Studies and the boxofficeturkiye.com websites. The scenes depicting the use of tobacco products were analyzed using the data collection form developed by the researchers. Each movie was evaluated separately by 2 researchers.
RESULTS: A tobacco product was used in 82% of the 50 films watched. Men (87%), individuals between the ages of 25 and 64 (78.0%), and leading actors (40%) used more tobacco products, and the most frequently used product was the cigarette (93.1%). The number andduration of scenes containing tobacco was greater by 1.6 times before the first law was passed, and between the passage of the first law and the passage of the second law (P > .05, P > .05). The number and duration of the scenes decreased between the passage of the first and the second laws and after the second law was passed, by 3.6 and 5.3 times, respectively (P < .05, P < .05).
CONCLUSION: Consistent and comprehensive tobacco control policies have been effective in reducing the number of scenes that contain tobacco in the movies produced in Turkey. A comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach is required to overcome the tobacco industry’s impact on cinema.
Cite this article as: Ece Erik H, Colaklar M, Yildiz E, et al. Tobacco control laws and smoking in Turkish movies between 1992 and 2016. Turk Thorac J. 2021; 22(6): 432-438.