European governments should stop subsidizing films with tobacco imagery

he European Commission has recently completed a public consultation on the future provision of state aid for audiovisual works. Although not its main aim, the consultation provided an important opportunity to challenge the way that EU governments currently subsidize US and domestic films with tobacco imagery. Given the growing evidence, initially from the USA but now from seven European countries, of a causal link between exposure to tobacco imagery in films and smoking initiation among youth, recently brought together in updated WHO guidance,1 we call on EU governments to end their subsidies that now amount to €263 million over 2008–11 for films with tobacco imagery.