Chile: Bill May Ban Smoking on Chilean Television

Source from:  Santiago Times (cl)  08/03/2012

Bill would omit famous scenes from movies, filmmaker cries foul. The introduction of a new tobacco bill in the Senate has begun to stir debate among Chile's film and television community. The bill, which was approved unanimously by the Senate’s Health Committee on Tuesday and will soon go to the Senate floor, would prohibit the use of cigarette smoking in every area of television, from movies to series.

"It would be prohibited to include any character smoking or any kind of indirect publicity, which might contribute to subliminal propaganda," Health Minister Jaime Ma?alich told El Mercurio. This would significantly alter many films or TV series, especially those taking place in the past, such as the award-winning Chilean film, "No," which is set to be released in Chile on Aug. 9. Set in 1988, characters in the film are often seen smoking, which was socially accepted during that time. Chilean film director Pablo Peremen, said the law could make Chilean cinema and television a "laughingstock." "If this isn't tragic, then it's laughable," Peremen told Cooperativa. "What will they do with foreign films, for example? What will they do with era reconstructions, such as the 'No' film, which is full of people who smoke because that's how it was back then. Will we have to fake the era and the people's conduct?" According to 24 Horas, the law would cut scenes from movies such as these where characters are seen smoking. Gone will be the days of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, John Travolta's scenes in Pulp Fiction and all of Audrey Hepburn's screen time in Breakfast at Tiffany's. María Eugenia Rencoret, drama director of popular television station TVN, said the measure would not deeply affect the national television industry. "The use of cigarettes in fiction is minor nowadays," she said. "This is because smoking is not allowed in public spaces and we keep this in mind when we are representing fiction." The new law will also prohibit cigarette additives such as menthols, because, according to Ma?alich, they help non-addictive smokers "tolerate tobacco." Chile has the highest smoking rates in the Americas according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the highest percentage of teenage smokers in the world according to the Tobacco Atlas. Enditem