How powerful are the images children see in movies?
It’s an age old question that has brought about much debate over the last few years. The argument has been made the violent movies or video games make a child more likely to be dangerous, but what if they see someone smoking in a movie?
Does that make them more like to become a smoker? The World Health Organization says yes.
A new movie rating:
The World Health Organization is trying to give movies that involve smoking a special rating so parents will know that smoking is involved in a movie. The health organization believes 390,000 American kids smoke because of what they see onscreen and believe that imposing adult ratings on films that include actors smoking would likely prevent 200,000 youngsters from becoming smokers.
Incentives for movie makers:
There is also mention of offering more financial incentives, by way of public subsides, to those movie makers that don’t put smokers in their movie. However, not everyone agrees with this incentive, or the rating system itself.
Opposition to the idea:
“Movies showing smoking might have a lot more in them that might appeal to youth at risk of smoking than just smoking,” Simon Chapman, a professor at the University of Sydney said.
“No one has definitively demonstrated that watching others smoke onscreen leads to more smoking among those in the audience.”
He went on to say, “Most of the studies purporting to show that link are muddied by many other factors in kids’ lives.”
Others believe the ratings system isn’t an adequate way to shield kids since they can access movies online or at a friend’s house.
Parents sound off:
Smoking is already a prevalent problem among youth, and but some parents say a new rating system won’t change that. “I don’t know what all the movie ratings mean as it is,” Donna Levine said. “I pay attention to what my kids watch but a new rating for a movie what do much for me.” Another mother disagreed, “I don’t see how it could hurt,” Rachel Janderson said. “If there is smoking there other issues, smoking and drinking typically go together, and they are both things I don’t want my kid watching.”
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