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For
Immediate Release
October 24, 2006 |
Media
Contact:
Kevin Enright
410-576-6357
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CURRAN
ANNOUNCES THAT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY WILL ADD ANTI-SMOKING PSA’S
TO NEWEST DVD RELEASE
Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. announced today
that The Weinstein Company is the first motion picture company
to insert anti-smoking public service announcements in DVD’s
in which smoking is depicted. The Weinstein Company (TWC) was
responding to a September
2006 letter to Hollywood’s 13
major motion picture companies, which was signed by the Attorneys
General from 41 States. Beginning with the December release of “Clerks
II,” the Weinstein Company’s upcoming DVD’s,
which are distributed by TWC’s exclusive home entertainment
distributor Genius Products, will
include an anti-smoking
ad created by the American Legacy Foundation.
“I cannot thank Bob and Harvey Weinstein enough,” said
Attorney General Curran. “We have been trying for years to
get Hollywood studios to work with us on what we believe is meaningful
protection for our children, and the Weinsteins have taken that
all-important first step.”
Curran’s September request offered free and unlimited use
of teen-targeted anti-smoking ads developed for the truth ® campaign
of the American Legacy Foundation, created pursuant to the 1998
settlement of the states' tobacco litigation against the major
tobacco companies. As of this date, no other studios have responded
to this PSA offer.
“
We are very proud to be the first to sign onto this important
initiative,” said Bob and Harvey Weinstein. "The Attorney
General made a very sensible request, and we think the concept
has a lot of merit.” The Weinsteins added, “Hopefully
our Company’s decision
to move forward will make other studios reconsider the idea.”
Harvey Weinstein added, “As a former smoker, I feel like
it’s my responsibility to do everything I can to educate
young people about the dangers of smoking. We really hope this
initiative will have an impact with viewers across the country.”
Cheryl G. Healton, Dr. P.H., President and Chief Executive Officer
of the American Legacy Foundation stated, “Our hope is
that the Weinsteins’ bold move sets a trend with other
decision makers in Hollywood. It is a simple way to prevent thousands
of youth from smoking, and can ultimately reduce tobacco addiction
and premature death."
Tobacco remains the number one preventable cause of death in
the United States and 80 percent of adult smokers begin before
age 18. Research has shown that teens are strongly influenced
by seeing actors they idolize smoke on screen, regardless of
the characters they play. To counteract this, the Attorneys General
have repeatedly asked the Motion Picture Association of America,
and the major studios to show youth smoking prevention public
service messages in theaters and on DVDs before films that contain
smoking. The Attorneys General also asked the National Association
of Theatre Owners and its members to run such messages in their
theaters.
The Weinstein Company is the first studio to proactively offer
to embed a classic truth® campaign ad in its DVD release
of one its most popular films. “We applaud The Weinstein
Company for leading the way to deter young movie viewers from
smoking,” said Curran.
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