MUMBAI: Hollywood is showing fewer smokers in films, according to a report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its report released recently shows that scenes of smoking incidents in high-grossing films fell to 1,935 last year, down 49 per cent from 3,967 in 2005. 

The study described an incident as the use or implied use of a tobacco product by an actor, with a new incident occurring each time a tobacco product went off-screen and then came back or a different actor was shown using tobacco.

Critics have been pushing Hollywood to do away with smoking scenes, arguing that young viewers use their favourite actors and film characters as role models.

The study estimated that 30 billion to 60 billion in-theatre tobacco impressions were delivered annually from 1991 to 2001. The figure dropped to about 17 billion last year.

One impression was defined as one person seeing one smoking incident.