The Smoke Screeners Video

Using an MTV-style format, the teen hosts of the Smoke Screeners video, produced by Arnold Communications and Cosmic Blender , provide a behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry's use of smoking on-screen. Geared towards young adults in middle and early high school, the video shows clips from many historical and current movies to illustrate how, "cigarettes and cigars are movie-making tools." The video explains how writers, actors, and directors use tobacco products to make characters look nervous, relaxed, weak, strong, even glamorous. As one of the video's hosts explains, "...if you watch what you're watching when you go to the movies, you won't get fooled by the smokescreen."

Smoke Screeners was a project of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and with their permission, adapted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for national distribution. Schools and youth centers who work with kids ages 11 to 14 can obtain a complete Smoke Screeners kit free of charge from the CDC. The kit includes the Smoke Screeners video, poster and deluxe moderator's guide, written and designed by the educational media team at FableVision, and features a ready-to-go course guide with reproducibles (fact sheets, storyboards, resource listings and movie review sheets.)