A proposal has been muted by the Liverpool Primary Care Trust to get under-18s banned from films that show smoking. They have suggested that under-18s should only get to see films where characters smoke if the habit is shown in a bad light.
They have said the only images of cigarettes should be where historical characters are lighting up, or which give a “clear and unambiguous” portrait of the dangers of smoking, using tobacco or second hand smoke.
The Licensing and Gambling Committee is now considering the suggestions. Though the British Board of Film Classification is officially in charge of setting the ratings for films, local councils can also reclassify films under the 2003 licensing act.
The council have opened up the idea to the public, asking Liverpool residents to give their opinions in a website-based consultation exercise.
In 2003, a study from the New Hampshire Dartmouth School of Medicine said that children who watch films depicting actors smoking are three times more likely to themselves take up the habit. Last year, the British Medical Council advised that films condoning or glamourising smoking should be considered for reclassification.
The over-18 suggestion suggests that the measure is firmly aimed at older teenagers, between 15-18.
Considering that programs aimed at teenagers – Gossip Girls and Skins spring forcibly to mind – show behaviours considerably more dangerous in the short term, it seems a bit ridiculous that we are trying to police cigarettes.
Both programs depict characters frequently having unplanned sex, without clarifying whether character are using protection, heavy drinking, drug taking and other nefarious bits of teenage naughtiness. Is smoking worse? And is it the job of the council to get involved anyway?
Aside from the fact that it seems ridiculous to police depictions of smoking when teens are most at risk of illness through binge drinking, adolescents have the right to see an unsanitised version of a behaviour they are certainly familiar with. If, for example, a filmmaker is trying show honestly what it is like to be a teen, then censors should not be denying that age group the chance to see the film.