My View: Catherine Scott

Their study of more than 5,000 adolescents found that 15-year-olds who saw the most films showing actors smoking were 73 per cent more likely to have tried it than those who had seen the fewest.

The researchers go on to say that if films containing smoking were reclassified to 18 would lower the smoking rates among young people.

As you can imagine the film industry is none too pleased with the report, claiming that art imitates life.

While I welcome anything which might reduce the smoking rates among young people I have to say that this does seem unworkable.

Will it mean that many chidren’s favourites will become 18 certificates? Even some of the classics include characters who smoke.

In 101 Dalmations Cruella DeVille spends the entire film puffing away on her cigarette; in Peter Pan Captain Hook is often seen smoking a cigar as are the ruffians in Pinocchio.

It is interesting that all these characters are perceived as “baddies” and the smoking adds to this rather than glamourising them.

I do, however, welcome the debate.

If it means that in the future film-makers will think twice before making a character a smoker if there is no need then that has to be a good thing.

But it does make you wonder what will be next?

Will all films containing someone drinking alcohol be reclassified as they glamourise drinking and be given an 18 certificate ?

Will a film where people are in a restaurant be seen as encouraging obesity?

This does smack once again of the nanny state. Where is our ability to take responsibility for our own actions and the actions of our children?

If we do not think the content of a film is acceptable then we encourage them not to watch it. If it does contain scenes of smoking or drug taking then surely that is an opportunity to talk to our children about such things.

But banning them will do little more than glamourise it further.

Surely, there can be few 15-year-olds out there who think that smoking is good for them? While seeing their hero smoke might have some influence surely this is a more complex issue which cannot be solved by simply sticking an 18 label on it.