Soaps criticised over smoking scenes

[Perdita]

Coronation Street and EastEnders have been criticised for failing to show the consequences of smoking.

Anti-smoking campaigners Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation have claimed that heavy smokers like Weatherfield's Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) and Walford's Dot Cotton (June Brown) are sending out the wrong messages to viewers.

ASH's Amanda Sandford has now called on both soaps to introduce lung cancer storylines in order to properly educate fans about the dangers of cigarettes.

"The level of smoking on-screen is a cause for serious concern and a message needs to be sent out to the younger audience regarding the consequences," Sandford told the Daily Star Sunday.

"For Dot and Deirdre to get something like lung cancer would have a massive effect on the audience. The government should be leaning on shows like this."

Meanwhile, the Roy Castle Foundation's chief executive Dr. Rosemary Gillespie has suggested that smoking should be reserved for soap villains only.

"Soaps used to depict characters that were shady, or the annoying gossip types, as the ones that smoked," she explained. "Producers seem to be confused about smoking and are sending out the wrong messages to viewers."

An ITV spokesman said: "Today is a democratic age and everyone is entitled to their own views regarding TV shows. But the producers would only introduce a storyline about smoking if it suited the character and would benefit the show."

A spokesman for EastEnders insisted that there are "hardly any" characters who smoke on the programme.

[alan45]

How do the producers of Corrie and EE get past the Ban of smoking in the workplace.

[Siobhan]

How do the producers of Corrie and EE get past the Ban of smoking in the workplace.

Actually in some scene with Dot is it a fake smoke.. and the outside scenes don't count cause you can smoke outside your work... Plus as it is a tv series protraying really life, people smoke in there houses.. maybe it is artist licence?

[parkerman]

How do the producers of Corrie and EE get past the Ban of smoking in the workplace.

There is special dispensation in the act for TV, films and theatres where smoking is called for in the script:

"Statutory Instruments

2007 No. 765
PUBLIC HEALTH, ENGLAND

The Smoke-free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007

PART 2

Exemptions

Application of Part 2
2. The exemptions in this Part apply only to premises that would be smoke-free under section 2 of the Health Act 2006 if those exemptions had not been made.

Performers
6. Where the artistic integrity of a performance makes it appropriate for a person who is taking part in that performance to smoke, the part of the premises in which that person performs is not smoke-free in relation to that person during his performance."

[Katy]

I thought there was something like that in place as i went to see a play and there was a person who had to light up on stage

I dont think there are that many smokers on the soaps, and with deirdre and dot they have smoked on the soaps for years so it wouldnt look right for them to just stop.

[Siobhan]

I thought there was something like that in place as i went to see a play and there was a person who had to light up on stage

I dont think there are that many smokers on the soaps, and with deirdre and dot they have smoked on the soaps for years so it wouldnt look right for them to just stop.

Only other one I have seen smoking is Max in EE.. they never smoke in Oz soaps

[alan45]

Corrie seems to be the worst offender, The only smoking we see in Emmerdale is when the Kings light up their huge cigars when they clinch a business deal

[Perdita]

Deirdre has tried to stop but has weak moments when she gives in to temptation. Janice's friend Mike dying of a heart attack after not giving up smoking highlights the issue so I don't understand what they are going on about. People smoke, it is a fact of life and I have never felt obliged to smoke because I see a character on telly light up and I have stopped smoking 8 years ago this week.

[Abbie]

Yeah I think corrie is the worst

Although I dont even notice it that much :lol:

[miccisy]

OK Diedre and Dot do smoke alot but that doesnt mean they will get lung cancer. How come just cos they smoke they have to be given diseases not everyone who smokes gets ill.

[LostVoodoo]

OK Diedre and Dot do smoke alot but that doesnt mean they will get lung cancer. How come just cos they smoke they have to be given diseases not everyone who smokes gets ill.

but when you look at it the other way, why has no one who smokes in a soap gotten lung cancer? it is a fact that if you smoke you are more likely to get lung cancer. plus i think that if a character in a soap went through the long and horrible ordeal that would make a lot more smokers think about what could happen to them.

[Perdita]

Having witnessed people dying of lung cancer in the family, I don't think that it would be suitable tv viewing if they want it to be realistic. They show Ken always telling Deirdre off for smoking, Janice's friend at the hospital died of a sudden heart attack related to him smoking, I don't think that soaps are not dealing with this subject appropriately.