Anil Kapoor lends voice to anti-smoking PSA released in India

Anil Kapoor lends voice to anti-smoking PSA released in India

Star of 24:India Supports Campaign to Stop Smoking in India

DELHI, India, Feb. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a smoking cessation public service announcement (PSA) went live featuring narration by Anil Kapoor, the prominent actor recognized for his roles in Academy Award-winning Slumdog Millionaire, Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol and the hit television series, 24:India. The PSA, entitled "Smoking Kills", is designed to show Indians the harm caused by tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke and encourage tobacco users to quit smoking.

India is home to the world's second largest number of smokers, coming in only behind China. Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable death in India and is responsible for more than six million deaths worldwide each year. Smoking cessation would not only yield individual health and quality of life improvements for smokers who quit, but would also reduce the harm to nonsmokers -- particularly women and children -- caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. Unless urgent action is taken to reverse this global epidemic, the World Health Organization estimates that tobacco will kill as many as one billion people this century, taking a greater claim on human health than any single disease.(1)

"Helping current smokers quit the habit and preventing young people from starting is an important mission that I am proud to lend my voice to," said Anil Kapoor. "I hope this PSA inspires individuals to make choices that will contribute to a longer, healthier life." In addition to his popular acting roles, Kapoor is also widely recognized throughout India for his commitment to living a health conscious life.

The PSA was developed in part by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a U.S.-based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that harnesses the power of the entertainment community to raise awareness for public health issues from cancer to hunger. In 2008, the charitable organization helped coordinate an agreement between the California Health and Human Services Agency and major Hollywood studios to help reduce the negative impact of tobacco use by placing California's anti-smoking ads on motion picture DVDs that include scenes with tobacco use. "Smoking Kills" was developed with technical assistance from Vital Strategies, a global expert in the development and broadcast of anti-tobacco mass media campaigns that effect behavior change.

"EIF has launched a number of PSAs aimed at conveying the health risks of smoking, and we look forward to expanding our efforts to India in the hopes of making a lasting impact," said Lisa Paulsen, President and CEO of EIF.

The "Smoking Kills" PSA is available to view at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIjPcIWxL3U&feature=youtu.be]

About the Entertainment Industry Foundation:
As one of the entertainment community's leading charitable organizations for more than 70 years, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support initiatives addressing critical health, education and social issues. Visit eifoundation.org.

(1) http://worldlungfoundation.org/ht/d/sp/i/6084/TPL/BlockPage/pid/6084/cat_id/5456/cids/5456

Entertainment Industry Foundation

CONTACT: Courtney Greenwald, Rubenstein Communications, 212-843-8093, cgreenwald@rubenstein.com

Web Site: http://eifoundation.org


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