stated that movies featuring tobacco use should be rated R, at the very least.
Glantz, who has conducted extensive research on many different topics related to the harms of tobacco and secondhand smoke, also believes that the MPAA should change the way movies featuring tobacco use are rated.
“This wouldn’t be to keep kids from seeing movies that are rated R because kids do see some R-rated movies,” he said. “But when a movie is made, the rating for the film is determined before they even make the movie as part of the marketing for the film. So, if Hollywood is going to make movies that they want to sell tickets to kids, those movies should not be also selling them cigarettes.”
The CDC concluded that 5.6 million children may die from diseases caused by tobacco if the current trends continue, but removing tobacco products from all movies that are not R-rated could reduce teen smoking by 18 percent.
