Should Films With Smoking Be Rated R?

Smoking cigarettes is not good for you. It is safe to say many people realize that whether they smoke or not. In states such as New York, it has become harder for people to smoke in public places due to various restrictions. And now, the authors of a study that will appear in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics want to extend restrictions against smoking to the world of cinema.

According to the study, children who watch famous actors smoke in films are significantly more likely to try cigarettes down the road. As such, the suggestion bounced around was that films with cigarette smoking should be rated R. (Currently most are PG-13.) The authors of the study predict that making this change would reduce the proportion of children under 17 who try cigarettes by 18%.

"The movie industry [should] treat smoking like it treats profanity and sex and violence," said the study’s lead author Dr. James D. Sargent, a cancer-prevention specialist and professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School. "If saying the 'F' word twice gets you an R rating, certainly something as important as smoking should get you an R rating."

Tobacco can lead to health problems, as can the other chemicals found in cigarettes. If you smoke, especially for a long time, you are at great risk for emphysema, lung cancer, among other terrible illnesses. That being said, smoking cigarettes and smoking in general, is a personal choice people make themselves. Millions of Americans choose not to smoke. Millions of others do smoke for reasons specific to them. Whether you think smoking is good or bad, people are still going to make their own personal choices on the matter and there's nothing that can change that--even film ratings.

What do you think SodaHeads? Should films with smoking be rated R?