Abstract 

Media creations affect our perceptions. The media overtly influence our way of life notably our health and social preferences. This study examined the frequency, pattern, nature and direction of representations given to alcohol and tobacco in nominated Nollywood films. It adopted the content analysis research method and through the use of coding sheet, five films were analysed as sample size from a population frame of twenty Nollywood Movies Awards (NMA) nominated films from 2012 – 2014 employing simple random sampling technique. The research anchored its theoretical framework on social learning theory and the cultivation theory. Frequency count and descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the data gathered. It was discovered that alcohol and tobacco were given pro-use depictions, and that alcohol was frequently used for personal enjoyment, social ties, opium, and entertainment of visitor(s). Findings also showed that the representations of these two substances in the selected films portend danger for viewing public whose perception may be blurred on their health and social hazards.

Key Words: Nollywood, Alcohol, Tobacco, Health Communication, Representation

*Dele Odunlami Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria

**Omoniyi Felix Akinkoya is a doctoral student in the Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria and a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Houdegbe North American University, Cotonou, Benin Republic

^JCMR Journal  of  Communication and Media Research, Vol. 9, No. 2, October  2017, 165 – 174