The MPAA on Thursday announced that they are to consider slapping movies which depict smoking with an R rating. Chairman Dan Glickman has thus far rejected the continued presser from smoking activists, but with ever changing worldly views – he recognises that the MPAA ratings too must “evolve” to include smoking as part of the criteria for defining ratings.

“The MPAA film rating system has existed for nearly 40 years as an educational tool for parents to assist them in making decisions about what movies are appropriate for their children. It is a system that is designed to evolve alongside modern parental concerns. Clearly, smoking is increasingly an unacceptable behavior in our society. There is broad awareness of smoking as a unique public health concern due to nicotine’s highly addictive nature, and no parent wants their child to take up the habit. The appropriate response of the rating system is to give more information to parents on this issue.”

Although I am strongly against smoking, I think this is taking things a little too far. I can’t wait until July 1st when here in England a smoking ban in places of work (which importantly to me includes bars!) comes into place. But do we really need to be punishing film makers with an R rating just for a smoking scene?

At the end of the day I think a child is going to be affected far more by his/her peers when it comes to smoking than the odd scene in a flick. Of course, there are plenty of people who disagree with me there!

source – Hollywood Reporter