Tobacco Disclaimers in Film Advertisements

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I was looking through the movie listings this morning and I noticed an ad for the film Leatherheads. Something within the ad struck my attention. There was a small disclaimer warning about the use of tobacco in the film.

I knew I was aware that in this age of anti-tobacco legislation that there has been issue with smoking in movies. There were groups that were campaigning to having smoking equal an instants R rating. The issue was also parodied in the film Thank You For Smoking when the anti-smoking senator (played by William H. Macy) has smoking edited out of Classical Hollywood films.

However, this is the first time I’ve seen this issue addressed in movie advertising. I’m been trying to look into more about how the disclaimer came to be, but I haven’t found anything. If I do find anything, I will make sure to post it here.

However, the existence of such a disclaimer is sure interesting.

Sean Patrick Kelly

Sean Patrick Kelly is a Toronto-based freelance film critic and blogger with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from York University. Since founding his site in 2004, Sean has shared his passion for cinema through insightful reviews and commentary. His work has also been featured in prominent outlets, including Toronto Film Scene, HuffPost Canada, Screen Anarchy, ScreenRant, and Rue Morgue Magazine.