On Tuesday, 20 Aban of the current year, in a joint meeting between representatives of the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association and Dr. Majid Shah-Hosseini, President of the Academy of Arts, the parties emphasized the necessity of formulating “health rights” within artistic works as an effective step toward promoting public health in cinema and the broader artistic sphere.
According to the Public Relations Office of the Association, the meeting—attended by Dr. Shah-Hosseini (President of the Academy), Dr. Mohammad-Reza Masjedi (Secretary-General of the Association), Dr. Nader Asgari (Technical Advisor), Dr. Sharif Torkaman-Nejad (Scientific Advisor), Ali Ata Taheri (Executive Director), and Mr. Hamid-Reza Shahsavari (Legal Advisor of the Association)—focused on the role of artists, legislators, and cultural policymakers in safeguarding public health and limiting the influence of the tobacco industry within the arts.
Dr. Shah-Hosseini: Artists Are Ambassadors of Health and Role Models for Society
Opening the session, Dr. Shah-Hosseini welcomed the representatives and emphasized the decisive role of artists in shaping societal lifestyles:
“Art is the most influential language of society, and artists are messengers of health and social responsibility. Just as actors and filmmakers are attentive to their own health and that of their families, this awareness is transferred to the public through cinematic works. Artists serve as societal role models, and their behavior leaves a lasting impression on audiences.”
He added:
“Cinema and visual productions have a direct role in cultural development and shaping social beliefs. Therefore, giving attention to the physical and mental health of audiences—alongside artistic appeal—can significantly enhance the impact of artistic productions. When a film avoids depicting tobacco consumption, it conveys a message of responsibility and respect for public health.”
Highlighting the need for collaboration among cultural institutions, he noted:
“The House of Cinema and other cultural bodies can synergize to support and promote artistic works that advance health in cinema and the arts.”
He concluded by emphasizing the need to uphold the moral and health rights of audiences:
“The Anti-Tobacco Association should work toward developing a charter on the moral rights of audiences—including health rights—in collaboration with parliamentary committees on culture and health.”
Dr. Masjedi: The Artistic Community Does Not Accept the Growth of Youth Addiction
Dr. Masjedi, Secretary-General of the Association, reviewed the organization’s longstanding activities and noted:
“Despite valuable actions by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and Parliament, the overall situation regarding tobacco control remains alarming.”
He stressed:
“The artistic community does not accept an increase in the number of tobacco users and addicted youth. The Academy of Arts’ strong ties with the artistic community provide an important opportunity to engage in dialogue and produce impactful works that reinforce social health and prevent further harm.”
Dr. Asgari: Artistic Productions Must Move Toward Institutionalizing Health Rights
Dr. Asgari, Technical Advisor to the Association, emphasized the role of cultural policy in tobacco control:
“To prevent the devastating consequences of tobacco use, cultural policies and artistic productions must move toward the formulation of health rights. When health rights are defined for artistic and cinematic works, they can generate influential and popular productions that raise public awareness about health and discourage the depiction of tobacco consumption.”
Dr. Torkaman-Nejad: The Tobacco Mafia Has Penetrated the Film Industry
Dr. Torkaman-Nejad, Scientific Advisor to the Association, presented global statistics on tobacco use:
“Tobacco kills more than 8.6 million people worldwide each year, including 1.2 million due to secondhand smoke and around 65,000 children. Annually, over 72 billion cigarettes are produced and 30,000 tons of tobacco are consumed. Since 1964, tobacco has been recognized as a carcinogenic substance.”
He warned:
“One of the most important strategies of the tobacco mafia is infiltrating the film and entertainment industries. According to documents from Philip Morris archived at Stanford University, the company’s CEO expressed dissatisfaction with restrictions on depicting smoking in films and stated that he found the sight of women smoking ‘encouraging.’ This clearly demonstrates how tobacco is subtly promoted through cinema.”
He added that if policies do not become more stringent, increasing tobacco use among women could lead to a “future tsunami of cancers” with severe consequences for society.
Legal Follow-up
Mr. Hamid-Reza Shahsavari, Legal Advisor to the Association, highlighted the legal initiatives taken by the Association to oppose the depiction of smoking in streaming media and cinematic productions, noting the ongoing legal actions pursued by the organization’s legal department.
