The last frontier?
Monday, February 1, 2016 at 8:59 The World Heath Organisation has renewed its call for films that portray smoking to be given an 'adult' rating.
The WHO has been banging on about this for years so I suppose there's some comfort in the fact that no government has implemented the recommendation.
The British Board of Film Classification has also resisted the idea but I don't sense any strong ideological opposition. Instead they cite existing law and public opinion.
As we know laws can be introduced or extended quite easily and public opinion means nothing once politicians get an idea in their heads so it would be nice to hear a rather more robust defence of artistic freedom and expression.
Anyway the Guardian concluded its report with a short quote from me:
"Disney has a no smoking policy for its PG 13-rated films, and that’s fine, but films aimed at older audiences must be allowed to reflect real life, not some sanitised smoke-free world.
“Penalising films that portray smoking by giving them a rating equivalent to an 18 certificate is a clumsy and unnecessary attempt at censorship."
My full response included these additional comments:
"Smoking rates are falling throughout the Western world, especially among children, so there's scant evidence that films are encouraging young people to smoke.
"The portrayal of smoking in films should be a matter for the film industry and individual directors and producers, not the World Health Organisation.
"What next? Will films that portray drinking, violence and casual sex be given a similar rating in case they're a bad influence too?"
Have you noticed, by the way, how the "last frontier" in tobacco promotion keeps changing?
Fifteen years ago it was advertising and sponsorship. Then it was the display of tobacco in shops.
More recently it was packaging. Now it's smoking in films.
Eventually the mere act of lighting up will be the "last frontier" in tobacco promotion. Cue calls for the total prohibition of smoking.
Update: I'll be discussing smoking in films on BBC Radio Kent shortly after 9.00 and BBC World Service a little later.
Update: I'm also on LBC this evening after 7.00.
Reader Comments (6)
Soon it will be criminalisation of the product and therefore the consumer. There is no last frontier. Each line is a move towards the next and to get there they lie, cheat, abuse and humiliate.
Frauds the lot of them.
unlike alcohol, in many places (like where I live in Ontario Canada) it is not illegal for a minor to smoke or posses tobacco products, it is only illegal to sell or give a minor tobacco products. We cannot smoke in a vehicle with a minor but that minor can legally smoke.(1)
I can see the day where a minor cannot attend a movie because it has been given an "adult rating" because of smoking and in frustration stand outside the same theater and a smoke.
(1) http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/2009/02/17/girl_15_smokes_as_driver_gets_155_ticket.html
I bet the tobacco industry must laugh out loud when they hear the WHO and others calling smoking in films 'tobacco promotion'. Tobacco advertising is completely banned yet the Tobacco Control Industry make great efforts to see it mentioned daily in all media outlets.
Maybe the Tobacco Control Industry are the last frontier in tobacco promotion. After all, the need smokers to persecute in order to pay their mortgages.
This is one more step toward total prohibition of smoking or more accurately one more step toward total social control.
The tobacco control lobby (actually the lifestyle control lobby since the same cast of characters seek restrictions on alcohol and sugar) seeks to censor all content. Of course films are in their sights, as they already manipulate and censor television, print, and much web content.
Tobacco control is anti liberty and sees only its own power and profit. They gain their power and profit by manipulation and relentless propaganda. To ensure their propaganda gets first billing the seek to censor all other points of view and all reminders that smoking is a natural activity.
Rather than censor films, tobacco control should be censured for their lies and totalitarian assault on freedom of expression and assembly.
Simon well done on LBC.
All this must be very hard work for you, especially as you are probably (in media terms) frequently dealing with biased judges and hung juries.Thank you.