The European Commission has recently completed a public consultation
on the future provision of state aid for audiovisual works.
Although not its main aim, the consultation provided an
important opportunity to challenge the way that EU governments
currently subsidize US and domestic films with tobacco imagery.
Given the growing evidence, initially from the USA but now from
seven European countries, of a causal link between exposure to
tobacco imagery in films and smoking initiation among youth,
recently brought together in updated WHO guidance,1 we call
on EU governments to end their subsidies that now amount to
E263 million over 2008–11 for films with tobacco imagery.
The European Commission has recently completed a public consultationon the future provision of state aid for audiovisual works.Although not its main aim, the consultation provided animportant opportunity to challenge the way that EU governmentscurrently subsidize US and domestic films with tobacco imagery.Given the growing evidence, initially from the USA but now fromseven European countries, of a causal link between exposure totobacco imagery in films and smoking initiation among youth,recently brought together in updated WHO guidance,1 we callon EU governments to end their subsidies that now amount toE263 million over 2008–11 for films with tobacco imagery.
Download PDF : eurpub.ckr183.full