American Lung Association Honors "ER" for Putting Tobacco Use in True Light.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 1998--The drama "ER" received the American Lung Association's top honor, the President's Award, for casting tobacco in a realistic role, and the cigar-touting comedy "Seinfeld" was awarded the undesirable Phlemmy for the third year in a row during the Third Annual Phlemmy Awards, held Friday in Hollywood.

Producers of "ER" walked away with the American Lung Association President's Award for an episode in which the character of Dr. Green starts smoking as a way to relieve stress but becomes addicted. In the story line, the doctor realizes he has to reverse his unhealthful decision and enters a smoking-cessation program when he finds out how difficult it is to kick the habit.

"`ER' is helping us send the message that smoking is not a solution to life's problems," said Linda B. Ford, M.D., president of the American Lung Association.

"This is an important message to relay to the young people of America, and especially the 3,000 who began smokingtoday. Many of them will become addicted, and, if they continue smoking, at least 1,000 of them will eventually die early in their lives of smoking-related diseases."

This is the second time "ER" has been honored by the American Lung Association. In 1996, it was awarded a Pink Lung award for cutting tobacco from its scenes.

"Seinfeld," on the other hand, is the only TV show ever to "three-peat." It received a Phlemmy each year for its glamorization of cigar smoking and for helping to fan the fad's flames.

During the Phlemmy ceremony, Anna Lulevlan, 17, of Hollywood High School, asked the entertainment industry to avoid glamorizing tobacco use, to creatively seek other props and to go one step further by showing the dangers of tobacco use.

The Phlemmys, based on the Emmys, bring attention to television shows that consistently glamorize smoking and recognize shows that realistically portray tobacco use.

The news conference, held concurrently in Los Angeles and Sacramento Friday, brought together the efforts of more than 50 teen- agers from the two cities. These volunteers watched 126 hours of prime-time television during April and May, gauging the frequency of tobacco use and its portrayal in selected shows.

Among their findings:

-- 28 percent of 179 reviewed episodes contained tobacco use; -- NBC episodes contained the most tobacco use, followed by Fox, CBS 

and ABC; -- 54 percent of 57 reviewed series had at least one episode that

included tobacco use; -- Cigarette smoking was the most commonly portrayed tobacco use,

but cigar smoking was displayed in 39 percent of the episodes, reflecting a disturbing increase across the United States in cigar popularity.

In addition to recognizing "ER" with a President's Award, the American Lung Association presented the Pink Lung Award to "Chicago Hope." In a bar scene, a character asks a man to stop smoking, and in the same episode a doctor tells a smoker that he is "contaminating his lungs" and "could you please blow smoke in the opposite direction." In a second episode, the character Jack refuses an offer of a cigarette.

"The Pretender" received an Honorable Mention for an episode in which a character describes how another character's lungs are in bad shape from his smoking habit. "King of the Hill" earned itself a Dishonorable Mention for its cynical and hypocritical portrayal of heavily smoking characters who lecture their children about the evils of smoking.

On the other side, "Seinfeld" received its third Phlemmy for glorifying cigar smoking through the characters of Elaine and Kramer. The episodes ignore the health hazards of smoking and instead endorse cigars as an acceptable part of show business and a way to relax and relieve tension.

"This might be understood as irony for mature viewers, but it sends a strong mixed message to younger viewers who might use it as an excuse to ignore warnings about what tobacco use can do to their health," Ford said.

The American Lung Association of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails and its popular "Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!" program created the Phlemmys three years ago because of the concern over the increased use of tobacco among American teen-agers.

The "Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!" program receives funding from a grant from the California Department of Health Services, Proposition 99. Your local Lung Association can automatically be reached for more information about tobacco use by calling 800/LUNG-USA.

SATELLITE FEED:

Times: 11:30-11:45 (Pacific), 14:30-14:45 (Eastern) Location: Telstar 5 -- Transponder 15 Stereo audio: 6.2 (left) / 6.8 (right) Transmission information: 213/993-4265

    CONTACT: American Lung Association
              Greg Hayes, 916/446-9900
              Kent Wallace-Meggs, 213/935-5864
              Abby Nash, 212/315-8622
              Andrew Weisser, 818/757-1440