Governor Joins Hollywood Studios to Deliver Anti-Smoking Ads on Youth-Rated Movies

DR. MARK HORTON:

Good morning. I'm Dr. Mark Horton, I am director of the California Department of Public Health. It's a great pleasure and honor for me to welcome everyone to Kodak Theater for this unprecedented announcement. I am joined today by Governor Schwarzenegger, Kim Belshé, secretary of California's Health and Human Services Agency, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa, Lisa Paulsen, president and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and Dan Glickman, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. I would also like to extend a special welcome to the students who are joining us today from the Hollywood Police Activities League. We are delighted you are able to join us.

And now it is my great pleasure and honor to introduce the Governor of this great state of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is a governor who has taken aggressive action to counter tobacco use in California. His record of success includes signing legislation banning smoking in cars when minors are present, fighting the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors and prohibiting the use of tobacco products in correctional facilities, including those overseen by the California Youth Authority. Ladies and gentlemen, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Applause)

GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER:

Thank you very much, Dr. Mark Horton, for the wonderful work that you have done to make all of this happen. I want to thank also Secretary Kim Belshé -- where is Kim? Right here -- thank you so much for being such a big believer in this.

And it is wonderful to be here with all of you, to celebrate a tremendous new tool for communicating with our kids about the dangers and the health risks of smoking. Now, anytime that you have an important message or a good idea or product that you want to sell, I think it's always very difficult to go and figure out a way of communicating that to the people or to drive that message home and reach as many millions of people as possible so it has an effect. Marketing companies spends months trying to figure all this out. Publicity companies are working around the clock trying to figure out and come up with solutions. Consultants rack their brains to come up with great communication strategies. And of course, yes, even politicians hire their campaign managers and communications directors and experts and all this, to reach as many millions of people as possible.

And the same is also the case with tobacco and with smoking. A lot of different approaches have, of course, been used on this, from public service announcements to testimonials and news reports about the dangers of smoking and the dangers of tobacco. And I'm proud to say that one of the most effective tools has been the state of California's powerful anti-smoking ads. I'm sure a lot of you have seen those ads all over. And I think this has been the most successful campaign and the most successful ads, because since our Tobacco Control Program started in 1989 tobacco consumption in California has dropped by 65 percent. You heard me right -- 65 percent, so this is a great accomplishment, but -- (Applause) Now, even though this is very gratifying, I don't think we should rest on our laurels, because at the same time we have heard some depressing news that this drop has actually leveled off, especially amongst young people.

And so this new weapon here of the DVDs comes at a perfect time. And now, thanks to the enlightened attitude of six of the world's biggest movie studios and all the hard work of California's Health and Human Services Agency and Entertainment Industry Foundation, the anti-smoking crusade is taking now another giant step forward. As a matter of fact, by agreeing to include our anti-smoking ads in the opening minutes of the DVDs, especially those that contain tobacco use, the studios will help us reach tens of millions more viewers with a proven anti-smoking message. And the good thing is, it doesn't cost anything to the taxpayers. Isn't that great?

So I want to congratulate those studios that have agreed to do that; this is really, I think, a great accomplishment and really great generosity on their part. So we want to thank the studios like Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Brothers, Disney and Paramount and we will continue to work with them, of course, to enlist even more partners. Let's first of all give them a big hand right now, to those studios. (Applause)

Of course, for me this is just again the beginning, because I have great visions. And my vision is to get those ads also into movie theaters -- because that's where really a lot of action is -- and we will reach even more kids and they then will think long and hard before they light up a cigarette. That's the idea about all those messages.

So this is a great day, of course, for the health and the welfare of our young people. And it is another great example of what can be accomplished when we bring people together. This is not about Republicans or Democrats or anything like that. It has to do with the health and the well-being of our children.

So now, let me of course, introduce someone that has been really on the forefront of all of this and to bringing people together, and I'm talking about, of course, Lisa Paulsen, because she's the president and the chief executive officer of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. And Lisa has been really the driving force behind all of this, she has worked tirelessly on this effort. And she's one of those women that knock down all of those barriers -- if there are barriers she will get rid of them, she will terminate them. (Laughter) And this is how she got all of this done and got these agreements done and created this action. So please, let's give a big, big hand and a round of applause to Lisa for the great work she has done. (Applause)

LISA PAULSEN:

Thank you, Governor, for that kind introduction and thank you all for being here. On behalf of our board of directors and staff and all of our volunteers, the Entertainment Industry Foundation thanks all of you for joining us on this wonderful, historic day.

We would especially like to thank Governor Schwarzenegger and Secretary Belshé for all of their help. We could not have done this without the state of California. They've been an extraordinary partner, and we're proud to bring their powerful anti-smoking messages to millions of movie lovers across the country.

California's anti-smoking campaign has been one of the most successful in the nation. Our state has achieved one of the lowest adult smoking rates and one of the lowest teen smoking rates in the country. Working together, we can educate even more Americans about the real-life consequences of smoking. And thanks to this steadfast support, EIF has had a long history in addressing leading health concerns, including a major commitment and investment in reducing cancer death rates in this country.

Lung cancer and other tobacco-related diseases rank as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. As part of our commitment, EIF has been working within the entertainment industry to reduce the negative effects of tobacco. This is pretty personal for me; I lost my father to lung cancer after a long battle. Both of my parents, in fact, died of cancer, so I made a personal commitment that we would continue this fight.

So EIF established a program called 'Picture Quitting', a groundbreaking quit-smoking program, available to members of the entertainment industry and their families, and it's free of charge. The program is run in conjunction with the Motion Picture and Television Fund, and with the support from the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan. Picture Quitting is the first-ever industry-led smoking-cessation program that combines free counseling and low-cost medications, and I'm proud to report that Picture Quitting success rates are more than twice the national average.

We have also been long committed to educating members of the entertainment community about the impact of smoking on young people and the steps they can take to reduce on-screen smoking. Partners in our Hollywood Unfiltered effort include the industry guilds; the Screen Actors Guild, the Writers Guild, the Directors Guild and the Motion Picture Association of America.

Which brings us to today. We are taking another major step in educating about the dangers of smoking. Through this initiative millions of DVDs rated for kids that are G, PG and PG-13 that contain smoking scenes will also contain now powerful anti-smoking messages. Sometimes you really have to be kind of in your face with kids. Is that right, kids, sometimes? So we're making sure that if they're going to see smoking in a film they're going to see anti-smoking messages too, at the same time, imbedded into the DVDs they're watching. This program is based on a simple premise; the best way to counter scenes that glamorize smoking is with scenes that discourage it.

There were two sides that needed to come together to make this a reality. EIF first went to the people who make most of our movies, the leaders of our industry. We called the major studios and asked if they would work with us and the answer was a resounding yes. They didn't hesitate. So we have Fox, Sony, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Universal and the Walt Disney Studios signing onto this effort, agreeing to put the anti-smoking PSAs on their youth-rated DVDs. That means Hollywood's six major studios are all working together to combat the effects of smoking in films. Great job, guys.

And then we went to the state of California which, of course, is one of the best anti-smoking resources around. The result is EIF having forged a partnership that goes beyond what many thought possible, an unprecedented effort that brings together the nation's biggest movie studios and the nation's pre-eminent anti-smoking programs.

So I want to thank all the studios again for their incredible support, and the Department of Health for their vision and their investment, and to you, Governor.

It's my pleasure now to introduce a true leader in moving the entertainment industry forward on the issue of smoking. He has been integral to making this announcement possible. Dan Glickman is the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America and under his leadership we have seen smoking established as a factor in the movie-rating system. And I'm pleased to say that, thanks to him, we've seen MPAA also join Hollywood Unfiltered and be a true leader in this coalition. So, Dan Glickman. (Applause)

DAN GLICKMAN:

Thank you. Thank you, Lisa, for the EIF's leadership and your personal leadership on this issue and many others. You look in the dictionary and under the word 'tenacious' you see Lisa Paulsen's picture there. I mean, she has been dogged in this effort and we appreciate it.

And I'm also delighted to stand with the Governor, who is such a champion of our nation's health and fitness, and such a stung supporter of this industry and its starring role in the California economy. This summer we've had Indiana Jones and Ironman and now, Batman coming out soon. And in the case of Governor Schwarzenegger we have our own real-life superhero, who understands the very real value of this industry.

And what a day to bring us together. More than a year ago Disney started running anti-smoking PSAs on their DVDs, and today all six major motion picture studios join together -- Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Brothers committing to run state-produced PSAs -- all of the major film studios standing shoulder-to-shoulder. This is an issue that has become increasingly important in our society and within our industry. And just to add what Lisa said, both of my parents had lung cancer, my mother and father, and so it's affected almost everybody in our lives and they smoked all of their lives.

As you know, the MPAA runs through our Classification and Ratings Administration, a voluntary film rating system in this country, one that is in my view synonymous with American democracy. It exists to inform parents of the content of films so they can determine what is appropriate viewing for their children. In May of last year we announced that smoking would become a factor in the rating of films -- that was in the year 2007. It was the appropriate step to take in terms of the rating system, reflecting changing social attitudes towards smoking in this country.

And separately, as an industry, we knew there was more we could do. So we talked to Lisa. With her leadership at EIF we joined the Hollywood Unfiltered effort. We are working to make a real commitment to education within the industry, having worked with the Harvard School of Public Health and the American Cancer Society, talking to artists about positive ways we can leverage the creativity of this industry to be one constructive part of the solution. And also, I want to especially acknowledge and thank the Directors Guild of America for their commitment to this issue and their leadership as well.

The Hollywood Unfiltered effort is similar to the efforts undertaken in the 1980s to discourage drunk driving, something that really helped make the designated driver a fixture not only of film and television but modern life as well, saving an estimated 50,000 lives. Today's announcement is a continuation of this journey and these ongoing efforts.

The companies I represent understand that they have an extraordinary influence and can be a positive force for change using the creativity and ingenuity that are the hallmarks of this industry. We are under no illusion that this single step constitutes the silver bullet, but we're going to continue to do our part to raise awareness of the very real public health consequences of smoking.

Governor, I especially want to thank you for bringing attention to this issue today, for recognizing the importance of these efforts and this commitment we are making to an industry. We all have a role to play, from public health experts, to policy makers, to parents, to great leaders like the mayor and governor who are here. And this initiative is a terrific example of all kinds of folks wanting to do the right thing, working together in a constructive way and making a real difference. Thank you very much. (Applause)

And now I have to introduce my favorite mayor -- you are my favorite mayor, you know? When I lived in Kansas the mayor of Wichita was my favorite mayor, but now you're my favorite mayor. Mayor Villaraigosa. Thank you very much. (Applause)

MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA:

Thank you, Dan. And you're my favorite MPAA president, how about that? With big shoes to fill, because whenever I think about the MPAA, of course I think of our great friend Jack Valenti, who I know began the process of really helping to make this industry more socially responsible, and obviously we're all here in his memory.

It's great to be here with my friend the Governor. Whenever the Governor calls, I come. And he's called because he recognizes that in the years that I was in the Legislature, this issue of smoking, of anti-smoking, of health promotion, was a very important issue, and one that we played an important role in, back then in beginning to make California, or put California on the road where we are today, of being a leader in the country in the anti-smoking efforts.

I also want to acknowledge my friend Kim Belshé. She whispered as I walked up here that this year is the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Healthy Families Program. Some 800,000, close to 800,000 kids, have health care today because of her efforts, Governor Wilson's efforts and my own. I was the author of that initiative and proud to be here with you once again as you continue in your effort to really make California a healthier place to live.

And I want to say something to the young people who are here from the PALs program, a great program that works with young people here in the city of Los Angeles. I just want to say that this is about you. I actually smoked as a young boy. From the age of 12 to 17 I was smoking about a pack and a half of cigarettes. I like to think I wouldn't have begun to smoke back then if we had had the kind of anti-smoking and health education initiatives that we have today.

And the reason why we're here, and the reason why we're working with the MPAA and other organizations is because we really, while we want to work with everybody to make them healthier and to keep them away from smoking, we particularly want to work with you, because we know how important it is for you to have a healthy, prosperous life and you are the key to this effort.

So I wanted to acknowledge this effort on the part of the Governor, the state of California, the MPAA and other organizations. I'm here because this is the epicenter of entertainment, which is why I may be your favorite mayor. This is the entertainment capital not just of the United States but the world film, Hollywood. Here we are at the Kodak Theater, a place where the Academy Awards are hosted. And very importantly, this is an Academy Award type of initiative, one that we think will be very successful in ensuring that the rest of you don't make some of the mistakes that our parents and that we made with smoking. So thank you very much. (Applause)

And now, at the instigation of my friend the Governor -- who as I say, whenever he calls I come -- I get to introduce my friend the leader of this effort, the secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary Kim Belshé. (Applause)

SECRETARY BELSHÉ:

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And it's great to be doing another very positive public health event with you and to work with you on such an important undertaking.

We are incredibly proud of the work that our state does. Indeed, we point with great pride to California's Tobacco Control effort because it really is the model for the rest of the nation. We have the nation's most comprehensive approach to taking on tobacco and at the centerpiece is a very hard-hitting, attention-getting, provocative, paid media. And through a combination of our media efforts, community-based efforts and the schools, throughout our health departments in each county, California is leading the nation in reversing the trends as it relates to adult and youth tobacco use. So we point with great pride to the fact that, notwithstanding our size and diversity, we have only 13 percent of adults who smoke in our state, second only to the state of Utah, and there's not many things that we're second to Utah on.

With youth, we are well below the national prevalence rate, so we point with a lot of pride to that as well. But at the same time we have some concerns because, as the Governor says, we're not going to rest until we totally tackle this problem. And when we look at some of the trends we see kind of a leveling off in terms of the percentage of youth who smoke. That has us very concerned. We also see research that shows that when youth are exposed to movies where there are smoking images, a depiction of smoking, that there's a higher likelihood that kids are going to start smoking, and that's a real concern to us.

So we came to conclude that if we're going to be successful in doing what we need to do, which is to reduce youth smoking, we have got to address this problem in terms of addressing smoking in films. That's why we were so excited when the Entertainment Industry Foundation came to the state earlier this year with the idea of a partnership, a partnership whereby we would give our very attention-getting, powerful, proven anti-tobacco ads to run before all movies that depict smoking, that are youth-rated movies, G, PG and PG-13.

So over the past number of months we have entered now into six contracts with the major picture movie studios that reflect this incredibly strong partnership that will ensure that we'll be able to get these very important messages before young people throughout our state, indeed throughout the nation. Indeed, this unprecedented agreement will result in our ability to extend the reach of our proven anti-tobacco ads to millions of movie viewers here in California, throughout the nation and even in other places throughout the world. And, as the Governor said, at no general fund cost.

The extended reach is one that will go well beyond what we've been able to do through our paid media advertising and, importantly, will be able to do so in a venue where the research indicates you can make a difference. The research is very clear that when young people are shown anti-smoking ads before a movie that depicts tobacco use, it really is very effective at countering the influence of tobacco, countering the glamorization of tobacco use that occurs in movies.

So we believe it's very important that by bringing these messages to young people, doing it in a venue where young people can talk with their parents about the dangers of tobacco use, we really can, through this agreement, help reduce smoking and help save lives. It is a strong and responsible step forward by the entertainment industry, one that acknowledges the importance of taking on this issue and the importance of countering the influence of tobacco use in films.

We know that this agreement won't end the conversation about tobacco use in movies. But we commend the six studios that have partnered with the state and we invite other studios -- I'm not sure if there any left, we got the big ones -- if there are any studios left, we want them to be a part of this effort as well. And we also want to commend the studio leaders who have proactively taken on the issue of tobacco use in films and have worked hard to reduce or even eliminate the gratuitous depiction of tobacco use in movies. And again, we want to encourage other studios to make similar pledges.

So this is a millstone to celebrate, it's an extraordinary step, and we really do want to acknowledge the leadership of the Entertainment Industry Foundation for their assistance in helping us to negotiate this agreement.

Now, the first ad that we are going to see running in California, and indeed nationally, is the youth-rated moved 21. And so later this month we will be seeing the first California ad on all DVDs of 21 that are going to be released. We are going to show you this 30-second spot. It's called Icons, it's one of our more attention getting and powerful ads that tells a very clear story about the dangers of tobacco use. So we are now going to run that.

ANTI-SMOKING AD ICONS:

Tobacco companies show you images of what life would be like if you smoke.

They tell you tough, hard-working people smoke their cigarettes.

That you'll look cool, hip and rebellious.

That smoking makes you independent, beautiful and mysterious.

But the reality is that you can end up looking like this.

(Applause)

SECRETARY BELSHÉ:

Icons is an example of the very, very powerful -- to use the Mayor's word -- very powerful type of ads that California Tobacco Control Program has created. It is attention getting, it is provocative, it will help create an opportunity for young people and their parents to talk about the very real dangers of tobacco use and to counter the pro-tobacco influences they may see in youth-rated films.

So with that, I believe, Governor, we are now going to take questions.

QUESTION/ANSWER:

GOVERNOR: Does anyone have my folder?

DAN GLICKMAN: Thank you. Yes?

QUESTION: You're dealing with G-rated movies, which are obviously designed specifically for children. Why can't scenes of smoking just be eliminated? Why can't they be scrubbed out of these films? In a way, this seems like a mixed message. You're telling kids at the beginning don't smoke, but then you're showing them a movie in which scenes of smoking do occur.

DAN GLICKMAN: Well, first of all, last year we started a program within the rating system where smoking is now a factor in the rating of movies. And so, if we believe that the smoking that's contained in a movie rises to the level of parents should be warned about that smoking, it will be a factor and it may affect the rating, and it could take a G-rating to a PG or a PG-13. Each one of these things is decided on its own merits, each company makes its own decisions about what to put in the movies. But what we've done twofold here is, by making smoking a factor like we might make language or sexual content or violence a factor, we've raised it to the level that it's high priority, to be considered by parents when they advise their kids whether to see a movie or not.

And second of all, by putting these PSAs on board, the companies are saying that if you have movies that are geared to children, unrestricted movies, G, PG or PG-13, then you'll have anti-smoking DVDs as part of it.

Again, these things are decisions -- company-by-company decisions about what goes into a movie, also the creative process, the directors are involved, producers, talent and everybody else. But for the most part what we're saying here is smoking is a public health hazard. And in the context of the creative world, of showing a movie in its full creative context, we're going to do our best to try to remove smoking from movies or at least give the creative community the understanding that we'd like them to do that.

But again, the decisions will be made individually. We don't control those individual movie decisions.

QUESTION: Governor, can you comment on the current situation with the Screen Actors Guild talks and your willingness to get involved in that stalemate?

GOVERNOR: Well, first of all, let me just say that I think it is very important that they come to an agreement as quickly as possible, because the last thing that we want is another strike. I think that our economy is very vulnerable right now and I think that people are suffering. People have lost a lot of their jobs and there are other people that are laid off, and a strike like that would be devastating to our industry and to our economy. So I would recommend very strongly to go and work out and come up with a solution that is good for everybody.

Another thing I wanted to just mention is I want to bring everyone up to date quickly -- because we have the media here -- to bring them up to date on the fires. As you know, that we have had these last 14 days 1,700 fires all over the state of California, which is a record for fires. And we are stretched thin and our firefighters are exhausted. We have a lot of them all over the state of California and we have been very lucky that we have gotten a lot of help.

So far -- let me just give you some of the numbers -- we have 752,944 acres burned. That is, without any doubt, a new record for California. We have 81 percent contained right now, 227 structures have been destroyed. Nearly 20,000 personnel, firefighters, are fighting those fires, we have almost 1,500 fire trucks all over the state of California and more than 120 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

I also want to announce today -- because, as you know, that just a week ago I have asked 400 of the California National Guard to come and help the firefighting efforts -- I have today asked for asked for an additional 2,000 National Guard to come out and be trained for firefighting capabilities and to join on the front line. And I think this is going to be very helpful, because we have to look at this not as a fire season that is just here now. The fire seasons, as we have known it in California, is pretty much over, because we used to have a fire season that goes from the end of summer throughout the fall, but now we have fire season all year round. So we need the extra manpower and also extra equipment.

We have asked the federal government -- I was on the phone yesterday with the various different -- with the Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and with Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and Senator Dianne Feinstein and with a representative of Senator Barbara Boxer, to help us with getting extra federal resources. We have been promised to get extra helicopters and also fire trucks, and firefighting trainers so they can train the National Guard for firefighting.

We also want to thank the federal government for helping us and we want to thank 41 other states that have come in to help us in this emergency situation. We want to thank also Mexico, Canada, New Zealand and Australia for helping us out.

This has been a very unusual situation, like I said, and for us public safety is the number one priority, so we're going to do everything we can to create more firefighters and more engines and air power. I think it is important that people pass, that our legislators pass, our Emergency Response Initiative, which is part of the budget, which will get us an additional $140 million to buy those extra fire trucks, fire engines, and have the manpower there.

So thank you very much. And now, if there are any other questions about any of this with smoking, please feel free to ask.

QUESTION: Secretary Belshé, if it were up to you, would you have all movies that depict smoking be rated R?

SECRETARY BELSHÉ: Well, first, I'd like to acknowledge that a number of the studios have stepped up and made a real commitment to dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, the depiction of all smoking in youth-rated films. So I want to commend those studios and, as I said in my comments, I would certainly encourage others to take similar pledges.

At the same time, as a government official, I really don't see my role -- and I would question if it would be a proper role -- for me to be dictating the content of movies. I think that really is the responsibility of the studios. I don't see it as my role, as a government official, dictating the rating of a particular movie with particular content. I think that's Mr. Glickman's role. And I also don't see my job as dictating what people do and don't see. At the end of the day, that's up to individuals. And particularly, it's a responsibility of parents to make those decisions for their kids.

QUESTION: And Mayor Villaraigosa, speaking of the studios, it now appears that there will be no talks as of right now. The talks between those two studios and SAG have completely broken off, and both sides say they're not coming back anytime in the future, which means that a studio lockout could happen, which means that we could be on our way to a strike, which I know you don't want to do. When are you going to roll up your sleeves and get involved, as you said you would?

MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA: Well, first of all, let me just say that it's interesting that although we represent different levels of government, the two of us, both the Governor and I, recognize just how important this industry is to the California economy and particularly to the economy here in Los Angeles.

I've been involved with the writers, the directors, the producers, the Screen Actors Guild, including AFTRA. I can tell you I've met with all of them over the course of the last year. I can also tell you that, while I'm willing to roll up my sleeves, you have to be asked. And while I've talked to the parties separately throughout the last year, it's the parties that have to ask someone to mediate. And I know that the Governor said he'd be willing to do that as well.

I do want to say that I'm heartened by the ratification of AFTRA of the contract. And I agree with the Governor that my hope is that SAG and the producers will come to an agreement as quickly as possible. I think the city and the state want to see us move forward without a strike. We've had enough of that. The impact, not just for people in front of the camera but behind the camera -- you've read about people losing homes and businesses as a result of this effort and my hope would be that this would conclude as quickly as possible.

I remain ready, willing and able to roll my sleeves up, as you said, to help mediate. But the parties have got to want that. That's the way it works. I'm certainly prepared to do that if they want it.

Yes, Peter?

QUESTION: I've got a fast question. I know this is a good start, inasmuch as the policing of the ads on new movies that are coming out. But given the extended life of DVDs in all three of the categories-rated films, will there be any effort or pressure to make the producers, as they produce new copies of old films, that they will incorporate these types of ads?

LISA PAULSEN: Well, we hope so. This is, again, the first giant step, working with all the studios to place these DVDs on all the new releases. And so we'll be working with them to extend the DVDs to existing movies.

DAN GLICKMAN: The most important thing is to get it out with movies that are coming out, because inasmuch as the biggest audience for theatrical and DVD release, at least initially, is among younger people. And so this will start it. I can't tell you what else the studios are going to do, but I suspect you're going to see them maintain their activity in this entire area, because they've all indicated their commitment to try to deal with the smoking issue.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) as a father to prevent his teenage kids from smoking?

GOVERNOR: I think that the important thing is that we just talk to them and communicate with them. And even though they see me every so often light up a cigar, I let them know that don't ever try and start smoking. So I, of course, have a wonderful excuse, because I can blame my father-in-law for getting me into starting to smoke cigars, because I never smoked until 1977, until he offered it to me in Hyannis Port. And so since then I've been smoking one cigar a day. Or when the mayor gives me a cigar, then I smoke that one, too. I dragged you into that, huh?

But I think that the important thing is that we -- parenting is a very important part of all of this, because I personally don't believe that we should erase cigarettes in movies. I don't believe that we should erase when someone smokes a cigar in the movies. I think that we should remind people and kids all the time about the dangers of smoking. And we have been, like I said, very successful with our campaign here in California with our anti-smoking campaign, to see the reduction of usage of tobacco by 65 percent, so we see that the campaign has been very successful.

And I think this is an additional tool, a very important tool. And then, especially when we get into the theaters, I think this could be an additional important tool. But to all of a sudden tell actors not to smoke a cigarette in a movie when they portray a character, or someone playing Churchill in a history movie and say, but you can't touch a cigar, I think it's ludicrous, I think that this is going too far. But I think we should have in the beginning of the movie always a message saying, you know, you may see actors smoking in there, but don't you try to imitate them and think that this is a cool thing to do.

So I think parenting is a very important part of this. Thank you very much. You all have a good day.