Smoking and the fragility of the youthful mind...

Hi guys!  It's rant time! (Again!)

So, I was wandering the internet, as you do, and I came across this article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14971560

New research suggests that films that include smoking should be made 18 rated because otherwise it might encourage yoofs to smoke.  Seriously?  What's next, Toy Story 4 gets a 15 rating, just in case kids think they're a Space Ranger!?

 

Space Rangers - Dangerous for your kids

Personally, I think it's just a little bit silly to change the age rating based on whether a character smokes or not.  I mean, what if the film in question is set in the fifties, when smoking was cool and everyone did it?  it would be unrealistic to not include smoking just to save your film from an adult rating.  Surely parents (and the kids themselves of course!) are responsible enough to explain to kids that smoking isn't healthy and is expensive.  Once they turn 16 of course, the choice of whether they smoke or not should be up to them.  As long as they're aware of the dangers.

This whole suggestion is just another example of the ever encroaching nanny state where we allow the government/Hollywood/whoever to tell us how to live our lives and how to bring up our kids.  I understand that the world is a different place from when I was young, but is it that much more dangerous really?  Or has the internet and the excellent ways of communicating we have made it seem that way?

See, we can be plugged into and updated about everything that's going on in the world instantly.  Wars seem worse, crime seems rapant and Jedward are everywhere but that's only because these days we get the news pretty much as it happens; I don't think the world is any more dangerous than it ever was.

Even if it is, surely we're capable of deciding for ourselves how smoking in films will affect everyone who watches them?  Personally I love the film Trainspotting but have never thought "Wow, heroin looks like a blast, I'll have to give that a go!".  I don't think these researchers give us enough credit about how we use our brains and maybe we give them too much?

Food for thought...


Now, I'm going having a cigarette, just don't tell your kids!! ;-)

Kenny