International Journal of Preventive Medicine (Int J Prev Med)2008-7802522013060316470ENTobacco Prevention & Control Research Center, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti Medical University, Tehran, Iran20130603<strong>Background:</strong>Scenes depicting smoking are among the causes of <br />smoking initiation in youth. The present study was the first in Iran to collect some primary information regarding the presence of smoking scenes in movies and propagation of tobacco use.<br /><strong>Methods:</strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted by polling <br />audience about smoking scenes in Persian movies on theaters in 2011. Data were collected using a questionnaire. A total of 2000 subjects were selected for questioning. The questioning for all movies was carried out 2 weeks after the movie premiered at 4 different times including twice during the week and twice at weekends.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> A total of39 movies were selected for further assessment. In general, 2,129 viewers participated in the study. General opinion of 676 subjects (31.8%) was that these movies can lead to initiation or continuation of smoking in viewers. Women significantly thought that these movies can lead to initiation of smoking (37.4% vs. 29%). This belief was stronger among non-smokers as well (33.7% vs. 26%).<br /><strong>Conclusions:</strong>Despite the prohibition of cigarette advertisements <br />in the mass media and movies, we still witness scenes depicting smoking by the good or bad characters of the movies so more observation in this field is needed.<br /><strong>Keywords:</strong>Initiation, movies, scenes, smokinghttp://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/view/1204http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/download/1204/1355