Are they going to ban movies and TV shows that depict people smoking?
Well, they already attempted to implement a law that forces warnings in theatres and DVD/Bluerays to have a warning that smoking is depicted in the show/movie.... but other groups went a bit further in trying to change the rating of any and all movies that show someone smoking as being rated R or 18+:
UK tobacco advertising and promotion act in movies
UK tobacco advertising and promotion act in movies
..... The UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham was commissioned to estimate the number of tobacco impressions delivered by films in the United Kingdom accessible to young people. Merging historical, publicly available box office data and tobacco incidence data for US-, UK-, and India-origin films released widely in UK theatres, researchers found that films rated for young people (below an “18” rating) delivered nearly 90% of tobacco impressions in the United Kingdom......
...... Current BBFC criteria for movies to receive an “18” rating (similar to a US “R” rating) are as follow: …where material or treatment appears to the Board to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – e.g. any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which is likely to promote the activity. Concerned about the scientific evidence linking onscreen smoking to youth smoking initiation, and believing that the BBFC should be applying its existing classification rules to include smoking, a group of public health and community groups in Liverpool, collectively called SmokeFree Liverpool, has taken a leading role in addressing this issue. The coalition, comprising 10 health care agencies, public bodies, NGOs and private philanthropies in northwest England, is advocating that local authorities exercise their licensing authority to apply an “18” rating to films with smoking shown in Liverpool. SmokeFree Liverpool asserts that the existing BBFC criteria already contain sufficient language to justify this rating for movies that contain smoking......
So long story short, groups already are attempting to make any movie that shows someone smoking in anyway, rated R or 18+.... even though it's something people see in public every single day, smoking is legal, and movies/shows are generally designed to depict real life and real life situations.... which include people who smoke.
Then you have your movies that depict people using illegal drugs, drinking, etc....
I mean, if showing people smoking tobacco in movies is such a bad thing and a bad influence on poor gullible children.... why isn't anything done about people smoking in real life out in the public for all to see?
Oh wait, never mind, Bridgewater already implemented laws making it illegal to smoke on any property in town limits.... :-?
So going back to the movies and changing ratings of those movies that have smoking in them, I guess that means every movie made in the past.... all those movies from the 1970's and earlier that had smoking as a common theme all now have to be marked as 18+ or 'R' rating.
All those action movies with the hero like Wolverine in XMen or a villain smoking a big cigar are now rated R.... Sherlock Holmes smoking a pipe is now too mature for minors to see, which also means the movies' current rating of PG-13 here in Canada would jump to being an R rated movie.... not to mention their posters and DVD artwork would all have to be redone since they depict Holmes smoking a pipe on all of their stuff.
It's as though you can only make movies that aren't realistic or depict any accuracy to real life and real life situations/habbits, otherwise expect your movie to end up being considered too mature and rated R.... even if there's no real violence, sex or anything else of the sort shown in the movie.... it's got smokers in it, and that's all that matters.
With idiotic, stupid rules and laws being introduced all around the world against smoking.... with the crap about where you can smoke, what you can smoke, what movies can show smoking, and now with the idea of getting rid of any brand name graphics, thus making all packs of smokes look exactly the same as the next one..... they're not solving anything.
You can try and hide smoking away as best as you think you can, but it'll never go away, it is still legal and the only real solution one has at combating minors and smoking..... Is good old fashion education of your damn child.
And we all know what happens to children who are simply told not to do something and have it continually hidden from them..... their ignorance breeds curiosity and curiosity breeds action into learning more, usually by trying something first hand.
ottytrain5:
