A report published this week suggests films showing smoking should automatically be classified 18
The big story
This week a report published by the medical journal Thorax recommended that all films including a scene in which a character smokes should automatically be classified as 18, regardless of any other content.
The report, produced by the UK Centre for Tobacco Contol Studies, was compiled from a survey of 5,000 teenagers who were asked if they had seen 50 films randomly selected from 366 box-office hits between 2001 and 2005. When the viewing preferences of the adolescents were compared to their smoking habits it was found that those exposed to puff-heavy plotlines were 73% more likely to have tried a cigarette and nearly 50% more likely to take up smoking in the longer term.
"More than half the films shown in the UK that contain smoking are rated 15 or below, so children and young teenagers are clearly exposed," said Dr Andrea...
The big story
This week a report published by the medical journal Thorax recommended that all films including a scene in which a character smokes should automatically be classified as 18, regardless of any other content.
The report, produced by the UK Centre for Tobacco Contol Studies, was compiled from a survey of 5,000 teenagers who were asked if they had seen 50 films randomly selected from 366 box-office hits between 2001 and 2005. When the viewing preferences of the adolescents were compared to their smoking habits it was found that those exposed to puff-heavy plotlines were 73% more likely to have tried a cigarette and nearly 50% more likely to take up smoking in the longer term.
"More than half the films shown in the UK that contain smoking are rated 15 or below, so children and young teenagers are clearly exposed," said Dr Andrea...
- 9/22/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
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