WHO calls for enforceable policies to restrict smoking in movies, including the end of public subsidies for the production of movies with smoking. Like the previous edition, the report reminds Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) that they are required to implement a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship according to Article 13 of the treaty. The guidelines for implementation of Article 13 recognize that the depiction of tobacco in films is a form of tobacco promotion that can strongly influence tobacco use, particularly among young people. The report, in line with these WHO FCTC guidelines, therefore recommends a set of specific measures to limit movie smoking such as receiving adult ratings and that movie studios:
- certify that they received no payoffs from tobacco companies to display tobacco products or their use
- stop displaying tobacco brands onscreen
- require strong anti-tobacco advertisements before all movies that have tobacco imagery
