The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is teaming up with the Henkel Corporation on a campaign to help kids get fit by providing the opportunity for three schools to earn $10,000 each toward their physical education and physical activity plans. Anyone can submit a nomination on behalf of a school by answering “What would your school do with $10,000 to improve youth fitness?” Apply now!
http://www.henkelhelps.com/
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
CDC Study Recommends R Rating for Movie Smoking
CDC Study Recommends R Rating for Movie Smoking
By Zack Stieber
Epoch Times Staff
Seeing depictions of smoking in movies increases the probability that youths will start smoking themselves, says a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Youth who are heavily exposed to such imagery are two to three times more likely to take up smoking, compared to youth that are lightly exposed.
The findings are detailed in a report by the CDC released July 15; an update to an earlier report released in 2010.
A key part of the report is the amount of state subsidies that go toward attracting movie production, totaling $1 billion each year. The top 15 states providing subsidies spent more in 2010 for productions—$288 million—than they budgeted for their state tobacco-control programs, $280 million.
In these pressing economic times, when states “are cutting teachers, firemen, ... [and] everything imaginable, for states to give movies with smoking [such] subsidies, is obscene,” said Stanton Glantz, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a corresponding contributor to the recent CDC report, in a phone interview with The Epoch Times.
The report recommends that state and local health departments work with state policy makers to limit subsidies, only providing funding to tobacco-free movies.
Incidentally, the number of smoking incidents in top-grossing movies has been steadily decreasing since 2005, especially those directed toward youth (G, PG, and PG-13).
The decrease in smoking incidents comes since three of the six motion picture companies that make up the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have implemented policies that have limited “unimportant” smoking incidents in films directed toward youth.
The percentage drop since that time is 95.8 percent in movies from the three companies with policies, compared with a 41.7 percent drop for the other three major motion picture studios, and independent companies.
The report recommends multiple measures to further reduce youth exposure to smoking on-screen. The CDC suggests that the MPAA give any movie with tobacco incidents an “R” rating, with the exceptions of movies that portray historical figures that smoked, and those that display the negative effects of tobacco use.
Elizabeth Kaltman, vice president of Corporate Communications for MPAA, said in a phone interview, “The studios and the industry takes this seriously,” and that they have all made efforts to reduce smoking incidents in films.
However, “The purpose of the movie rating system is not to prevent material from ending up on screen ... [it] is to provide information to parents about what's appropriate for their own children. They provide information and descriptors,” she said.
As an example of a recent public debate, Glantz disagreed with Avatar director James Cameron's choice of a main character smoking in the movie, saying it was unnecessary. Cameron responded by saying that the character was not meant to be a role model, and that movies should reflect reality.
As a former employee of NASA, Glantz said over the phone that that point is defeated by the character smoking in a type of rocket ship, which was unrealistic.
During the 20th century, the tobacco industry worked to influence public perception toward the idea that smoking was actually beneficial.
By Zack Stieber
Epoch Times Staff
Seeing depictions of smoking in movies increases the probability that youths will start smoking themselves, says a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Youth who are heavily exposed to such imagery are two to three times more likely to take up smoking, compared to youth that are lightly exposed.
The findings are detailed in a report by the CDC released July 15; an update to an earlier report released in 2010.
A key part of the report is the amount of state subsidies that go toward attracting movie production, totaling $1 billion each year. The top 15 states providing subsidies spent more in 2010 for productions—$288 million—than they budgeted for their state tobacco-control programs, $280 million.
In these pressing economic times, when states “are cutting teachers, firemen, ... [and] everything imaginable, for states to give movies with smoking [such] subsidies, is obscene,” said Stanton Glantz, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a corresponding contributor to the recent CDC report, in a phone interview with The Epoch Times.
The report recommends that state and local health departments work with state policy makers to limit subsidies, only providing funding to tobacco-free movies.
Incidentally, the number of smoking incidents in top-grossing movies has been steadily decreasing since 2005, especially those directed toward youth (G, PG, and PG-13).
The decrease in smoking incidents comes since three of the six motion picture companies that make up the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have implemented policies that have limited “unimportant” smoking incidents in films directed toward youth.
The percentage drop since that time is 95.8 percent in movies from the three companies with policies, compared with a 41.7 percent drop for the other three major motion picture studios, and independent companies.
The report recommends multiple measures to further reduce youth exposure to smoking on-screen. The CDC suggests that the MPAA give any movie with tobacco incidents an “R” rating, with the exceptions of movies that portray historical figures that smoked, and those that display the negative effects of tobacco use.
Elizabeth Kaltman, vice president of Corporate Communications for MPAA, said in a phone interview, “The studios and the industry takes this seriously,” and that they have all made efforts to reduce smoking incidents in films.
However, “The purpose of the movie rating system is not to prevent material from ending up on screen ... [it] is to provide information to parents about what's appropriate for their own children. They provide information and descriptors,” she said.
As an example of a recent public debate, Glantz disagreed with Avatar director James Cameron's choice of a main character smoking in the movie, saying it was unnecessary. Cameron responded by saying that the character was not meant to be a role model, and that movies should reflect reality.
As a former employee of NASA, Glantz said over the phone that that point is defeated by the character smoking in a type of rocket ship, which was unrealistic.
During the 20th century, the tobacco industry worked to influence public perception toward the idea that smoking was actually beneficial.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
F.D.A. Unveils Proposed Graphic Warning Labels for Cigarette Packs
From the New York Times - November 10, 2010
By GARDINER HARRIS
Federal drug regulators on Wednesday unveiled 36 proposed warning labels for cigarette packages, including one showing a toe tag on a corpse and another in which a mother blows smoke on her baby.
Designed to cover half the surface area of a pack or carton of cigarettes, and a fifth of any advertisements for them, the labels are intended to spur smokers to quit by providing graphic reminders of tobacco’s dangers. The labels are required under a law passed last year that gave the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate, but not ban, tobacco products for the first time.
To read the entire article from the New York Times Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/health/policy/11tobacco.html?scp=3&sq=tobacck%20packaging&st=cse.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
School Vending Machine Mini-Grants
The Prevention Connections School Vending program is accepting applications for up to 75 mini-grants for $500 each to support a healthy vending initiative in Virginia Title I middle schools as well as high schools with at least a 40% enrollment rate in the school’s free and reduced lunch program.
This is a great opportunity for schools/students to look at what is offered in their vending machines during the school day.
To learn more about the mini-grants visit: http://www.preventionconnections.org/funding.shtml.
Friday, October 22, 2010
A Farm to Go
Mark Lilly Transformed a School Bus into a Roving Farm Stand to Bring Produce Straight to City Dwellers Who Can't Always Get Fresh Food
He bought a $3,600 used bus on Craigslist and created partnerships with farmers like Christie Huger, whose dairy farm produces natural milk and cheese. "We had to laugh," says Huger. "That bus should be in the junkyard, but here it is reaching a lot of people who can't get to the farm."
Read more about the Farm to Family Bus here.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wal-Mart Plans Drive to Buy More Locally Grown Produce
Wal-Mart announced a program on Thursday that would focus on sustainable agriculture among its suppliers, as it tries to expand its efforts to improve environmental efficiency among its suppliers.
The program is intended to put more locally grown food in Wal-Mart stores in the United States, invest in training and infrastructure for small and medium-size farmers, particularly in emerging markets, and begin to measure the efficiency of large suppliers in growing and getting their produce to market.
Read more about Wal-Mart's plans here.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Prevention Connections Offers Safe Routes to School Grants
Prevention Connections’ Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is accepting applications for mini-grants of $2,000 for communities to sponsor a Walk and Bike to School event. Safe Routes to School is a federal program designed to help children to be more physically active and can assist schools and communities struggling with safety, transportation costs and traffic challenges.
The goals of the mini-grant program are to (1) increase awareness of the benefits of safe walking/biking to school, (2) increase the number of youth engaging in physical activity through walking/biking to school and (3) provide schools with resources on SRTS best practices and additional funding opportunities.
The mini-grants specifically target low-income areas. Studies show that these children face a higher risk of being injured or killed as pedestrians. The mini-grant program is intended to be a catalyst for these communities to begin to examine ways to make the environment safer and more accessible for children to walk and bike to school, as well as to connect these groups with larger funding opportunities.
The application is available online at www.preventionconnections.org. In order to apply, the targeted schools must be Title I elementary and/or middle schools in Virginia. A variety of groups are encouraged to apply including PTAs, local governments, community agencies and nonprofits, etc.
The deadline for applications is Thursday, December 30, 2010, 11:59 p.m. For any additional information, contact Ashley Johnson, SRTS Program Manager, at (804) 225-3004 or ajohnson@preventionconnections.org.
The goals of the mini-grant program are to (1) increase awareness of the benefits of safe walking/biking to school, (2) increase the number of youth engaging in physical activity through walking/biking to school and (3) provide schools with resources on SRTS best practices and additional funding opportunities.
The mini-grants specifically target low-income areas. Studies show that these children face a higher risk of being injured or killed as pedestrians. The mini-grant program is intended to be a catalyst for these communities to begin to examine ways to make the environment safer and more accessible for children to walk and bike to school, as well as to connect these groups with larger funding opportunities.
The application is available online at www.preventionconnections.org. In order to apply, the targeted schools must be Title I elementary and/or middle schools in Virginia. A variety of groups are encouraged to apply including PTAs, local governments, community agencies and nonprofits, etc.
The deadline for applications is Thursday, December 30, 2010, 11:59 p.m. For any additional information, contact Ashley Johnson, SRTS Program Manager, at (804) 225-3004 or ajohnson@preventionconnections.org.
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