Should smoking in a movie mean an automatic “R” rating? If the CDC and other public health groups get their way, that is exactly what will happen, which will mean movies such as “101 Dalmatians” will be rated “R” due to smoking. What would this change mean to tobacco companies, movie companies and directors?
CDC Report on Smoking in Movies
The CDC’s "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" made the case for labeling movies that feature tobacco incidents such as smoking with “R.” One reason is that there were 1,935 tobacco incidents in 2009, and most of those involved smoking. Thankfully the number of top-grossing movies that included smoking has steadily declined from 2005-2009. However, that is not enough for the CDC since smoking is such a serious issue in the U.S.
The most famous 2009 silver screen smoking incident was Grace Augustine, played by Sigourney Weaver, who lit up in “Avatar.” There are many who felt that the cigarette actually led a pro-smoking message to the super blockbuster.
Should Smoking in Movies Lead to an Automatic “R” Rating?
The current medical wisdom is that smoking onscreen will cause adolescents to take up the habit. There has been previous research that has found that onscreen smoking does lead to increased smoking among teenagers.
In addition to the auto “R,” the CDC report also wants strong anti-tobacco ads to play before movies that do contain the tobacco incidents, and that the tobacco products’ brands not be visible, meaning that tobacco companies will not be able to advertise in the movies.
What do you think? Is this just another type of smoking ban to further limit the rights of smokers and tobacco companies, or is this a legitimate idea that should be implemented in movies as soon as possible? Will this limit the director's creativity in movies? How will tobacco companies market their products now that yet another avenue is taken away?
