Smoking kills, that's a fact. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has made it its job to save lives by giving an R rating to all movies that show characters smoking cigarettes. It's a debate that has been looming over the film industry. Should movies be rated R just based on a cigarette or two?
Many studies have concluded that children and teens who watch movies with smoking are more likely to start than if they were not exposed to smoking in movies.
It's the potential deadly cause and effect that the MPAA is worried about.
Some assume that adolescents will emulate this behavior so they can be "cool" like their on-screen idols.
However, this is not the case according to a WebMD Medical News article. "Moviegoers are more likely to see the 'bad guys' light up than the educated, well-heeled heroes."
The MPAA concludes if children watch movies with smoking they are likely to pick up the habit.
There are multiple studies that have tested if there is a correlation between adolescents watching their favorite movie stars smoking in movies and lighting up themselves. These studies compared groups of children whose parents let them watch characters who smoke, to children with parents who don't.
The hasty conclusion most of these studies make is that adolescents who do not watch movies with smoking scenes are less likely to smoke than those who do.
This seems to imply that the more someone watches smoking scenes on the big screen, the more likely they are to smoke.
However, Karan Omidvari, M.D., author of a study testing the relation to smoking in films and adolescents smoking, states: "most investigators have concluded that smoking is portrayed as glamorous and positive, but our study shows that the exact opposite is true."
Studies are making these conclusions without taking into account numerous unrelated factors that contribute to adolescent smoking. Stress, family environment, friends and people surrounding you make an ample influence on your actions and choices especially when it comes to smoking cigarettes.
Movies do not cause adolescents to start smoking. Adolescents themselves choose to smoke.
We have all watched educational movies where the characters are constantly smoking cigarettes. Smoking was a significant part of the culture in the in the 1950's. Even today smoking in movies is only reflecting the actions of countless people.
Every day parents, teens and children see people smoking cigarettes. What's so different about adolescents seeing it in a movie they watch if they are constantly exposed to smoking everyday?
Requiring movies to be rated R for any type of smoking is opening Pandora's Box. What about alcohol in films? Alcohol is addictive just like cigarettes, and it kills. Is the MPAA going to weed out alcohol in non-R rated films too?
The MPAA should not act as parents for teens.
When parents and teens see actors smoking in movies it is the perfect opportunity for parents and children to talk about smoking. This is the chance for parents to set their children straight; to discuss the facts and teach their own children not to smoke, if that is what they believe.
A reasonable solution could be to add smoking to the categories of other potentially offensive material that audiences are notified about before they watch the movie. A smoking disclaimer at the beginning of movies is the solution. Then, parents or children can decide for themselves whether smoking cigarettes is appropriate or too corrupting to watch.
Reach the reporter at: lamisak@asu.edu.
