“You don’t know what you don’t know.”
A brilliant quote by Taylor Swift. I actually thought I came up with it, but I think it’s been around even before I thought Taylor stole it from me.
If we don’t talk about issues, if we don’t ask questions, if we don’t learn we won’t know what we don’t know.
Remember when we thought drinking and driving was fine? Or when we let babies and kids ride in cars without car seats? How about when the air was blue at restaurants?
We have come along way, but there’s a long way to go too.
I’m proud and excited to be announcing a partnership with Peterborough Public Health in their #smokefreemovies campaign.
Watch the video and let us know what you think. We want to hear your voice. We want to know what you think. We want you to share this video and talk to your friends about it!
Thanks so much to the parents and kids who participated in this video! I think we should have a dance party when it’s all wrapped up or just play a whole bunch of board games!
Stay tuned, we are going to inspire you in the next few weeks to get chatting with your kids. Use the hashtag #smokefreemovies and join the conversation!
In the meantime, click to enjoy this Taylor Swift song 🙂
It’s definitely something to think about! The number one character that stands out as a smoker from my childhood is Cruella Deville. But she did NOT make me want to smoke, that’s for sure 😉
Oh gosh! Smoking is in so many movies. Animated movies, like Pinocchio. Classics and movies that I would share with my children. But we would definitely talk about it.
Alladin
Oh my goodness! Smoking in movies was never something that I really thought about until now. When I think about the classics I loved at a kid, like Grease or Footloose, I definitely remember characters smoking. It might make me a bit weary of showing those movies to kids.
My daughter was watching an old reel of Mickey Mouse cartoons and there was smoking in it. I actually had a conversation about it with someone saying that those things are not allowed in cartoons now. My daughter is 3 and doesn’t get the concept of it – but I definitely would take the time to talk to her if she were older or if she asked specifically about what was happening in that part of the cartoon.
Thank you for the ##SmokeFreeMovies $25 gift card giveaway to the Toy Shop!! This will be great for our family game nights.
I watched the movie Jaws as a teen and it had smokers in the movie. Years later my kids watched Jaws.
Honestly looking back to my childhood I don’t even remember smoking in movies… other than Popeye cartoons. I was a smoker in my teens and early adulthood… I won’t blame movies for that though, I started mostly because friends were doing it. Smoke free many years now 🙂
So looking back on my childhood, I don’t really remember much smoking in movies besides Roger Rabbit and The Mask.. but I have showed my kids a lot of the movies I used to watch, and there was a lot more smoking in them than I remember! Like Stand By Me, a bunch of 12 year olds smoking.. kids eating chewing tobacco in the Sandlot etc.
But we HAVE discussed it with them, and continue to do so. A few things were brought to our attention at the Pulse event dowbtown actually, so I’ve been paying more attention and spreading more awareness since then. It is an important topic!!
Wow I never really thought about smoking in movies. More the other stuff, sex, drugs, crime and violence but it makes perfect sense to why we should speak to our kids when they see it on screen
I get recommendations from friends.
When our kids were young we would chose movies that were humourous and entertaining for them as well as ourselves. But didn’t think about any smoking scenes back then
I look for the message that the movie is trying to get across.
I try and keep education in the movie – or a good lesson/moral!
I have a daughter with high anxiety and we have to be really careful about what she watches so that she doesn’t worry about it happening to her (she’s 10)…we generally stick with Disney-type movies for both our girls.
HI. Well I have always been a very careful parent. Maybe sometimes, to careful, when the boys were much younger. I really tried, to stay away from movies, that involved, sex, drugs, swearing and my first biggy was, “smoking”. That being said, it didn’t leave much for the kids, to watch. When the boys did see smoking in movies, I always tried to discuss it with them. And I also used the scare tactic. Maybe not good, to some, however, I felt if they saw bad lungs, or what it did to our skin and teeth, I figured it may help, get rid of that curiosity to try it. I usually said, “smoking is bad, look at what it can do to us”. The boys ended up, saying the same thing, later in their childhood. And yes at times, they would ask, “Mommy, why is that person smoking if it is bad for us”? I hoped it worked.
I really think smoking should be banned all together. Nothing good comes of it.
I don’t have kids, but I have spoken to many students about the dangers of smoking. I think that it’s a really important conversation that we need to have.
We take any opportunity to help our kids learn about the dangers of smoking and how to make smart decisions about their health.
We take any opportunity to help our kids learn about the dangers of smoking, and how to make smart decisions about their health.
My little one is only 3 months old but it is definitely something that will be discussed when she is older.
I remember watching movies as a kid and thinking that you HAD to be a smoker in order to be an actor. I was relieved when I found out that wasn’t true because I wanted to act when I was little! ?
A fabulous campaign and I am behind it. It might just be the starting point for a discussion with your kids about the health effects of smoking. I love watching old movies, and everyone smoked in them. lol Never really gave it much thought. And it never made me want to start smoking.
Not sure we ever discussed it, they just never picked up the habit
They know smoking is really bad for you.
Totally agree with #smokefreemovies and living just in general!
I remember riding in my parents blue cars and eating in those restaurants and I am so happy that my children have NEVER had to be subject to this.
Yes, I have and my son dislikes smoking.
Yes we did when our kids were growing up. They tried smoking but luckily didn’t take it up. I think it may have helped that we didn’t smoke either. Either way we were thankful.
I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to my kids about smoking as they are still too small. I will do so when they understand.
Our girls are 7 & 10 and we’ve been discussing smoking with them since they were toddlers..about that smoking can make you sick. Now when they see anyone they know smoking (adults) they lecture them on the effects of smoking.
Smoking in movies often goes overlooked, even by myself. My parents were smokers and quit shortly before they had me, but always harped on us kids about how to stay away. I was even an anti-smoking advocate in high school, used to scold my own friends for it.
But then I started smoking my first year of college; my first time being away from home and when partying was a (young & stupid) priority. It sucked me in literally from the first cigarette. I now have quit cigarettes and vape instead (not much healthier, I know), but it goes to show how hard the habit (and nicotine) is to kick. This campaign is wonderful and it’s one that will hopefully will discourage kids from STARTING.
I’ve talked to my 7 year old about how it isn’t healthy, but some people still do it. We don’t agree with them and wish they would do it further away from store doors.
My son found a fag end that our lovely neighbour had dropped into our garden, he was walking around with it in his mouth and I completely freaked out, needless to say I don’t think he’ll try that again any time soon, but we willl have a talk about it when he’s older. As a rule we don’t allow him to be around smokers and we as a family are not smokers.
Baby girl is very little so I am unable to talk to her about smoking but when she’s old enough I will be having a long discussion about smoking
Unfortunately, our kids have witnessed several family members battle lung cancer… thankfully, as a result, they feel very strongly about not smoking. All kids come from different background, with different experiences, and varying degrees of support. I therefore think limiting the appearance of smoking in media/movies is incredibly important… we never know what our kids are consciously or subconsciously attending to.
I’ve spoken with my girls about smoking. They understand it is unhealthy and have pointed it out in older movies.
We have spoken to all the kids in the family about the dangers of smoking and health risks.
i grew up in a house of non smokers and remember going anywhere where there were smokers and being completely turned off. I do remember smokers in movies as a child, it was portrayed as a classy thing to do… When it’s so not!!
My mother smokes, so we’ve had the talk about what it does to your body and also how gross it is to be around. They all are anti smoking!
The kids give their gramma a hard time because she began smoking again, we have always had a negative view of smoking and made sure they were aware that it makes you ill.
When our kids were small I remember talking to them about smoking. Although we didn’t smoke, our kids saw their loved Grandpa smoke the occasional cigarette. So they thought, how bad could it be for you? My Dad was cool about it and was always telling them he wished he had never started and was always trying to quit. I think he probably scared them. One of the happiest days was when my Dad finally gave up smoking!!
we never talked about smoking as no one in our family smoked
My kids are grown now but I don’t recall them asking about smoking and i didn’t think to talk about it back then
They have asked and have their own opinions, they don’t like it.
Yes, my boys have asked about it. They have asked why people bother to do it even though it’s so bad for you. I don’t remember whay exactly I told them, probably just something along the lines of people not making good decisions. How would you answer that question? 🙂
Well I can only answer so many times, without repeating myself. lol So this is my contest entry. Thanks for the opportunity Michelle.
– HI. Well I have always been a very careful parent. Maybe sometimes, to careful, when the boys were much younger. I really tried, to stay away from movies, that involved, sex, drugs, swearing and my first biggy was, “smoking”. That being said, it didn’t leave much for the kids, to watch. When the boys did see smoking in movies, I always tried to discuss it with them. And I also used the scare tactic. Maybe not good, to some, however, I felt if they saw bad lungs, or what it did to our skin and teeth, I figured it may help, get rid of that curiosity to try it. I usually said, “smoking is bad, look at what it can do to us”. The boys ended up, saying the same thing, later in their childhood. And yes at times, they would ask, “Mommy, why is that person smoking if it is bad for us”? I hoped it worked.
Dd is a teen now, and I don’t remember any conversations about smoking in movies, but we were always very proactive about the conversations from a very young age. Since she has asthma (as does her father), smoking would be a really bad thing to do for her body ! Unfortunately, at her age, kids are now vaping…a whole other conversation!
You’d think with the amount of education around the harmful effects of smoking, the movie industry would jump on the band wagon! My kids have not noticed it in the media I don’t think because they have hardly seen people smoke in real life, at least in our family and friends circle – art mimicking life perhaps? Maybe in their lifetime it won’t be in any movies at all anymore!
children are highly influential. Looking back at the movies and tv shows I used to watch, smoking was portrayed as the cool thing to do and the health risks weren’t highlighted at all. I’m looking forward to opening a dialogue with my kids once they get a bit older on this topic. I think that #smokefreemovies are a great thing.
Obviously I haven’t had enough coffee. Should have said “Children are easily influenced”.
I’d love to win this giveaway just to get some time up North before the snow hits!
I would love to win this getaway to spend a night away with my family. My hubby has been under a lot of stress at work and he needs a break to reconnect with us, relax and enjoy his 3 girls.