Smoking: an R-rated offense

The Times deserves credit for recognizing in its Aug. 23 editorial "Smoking in the movies" the tremendous impact smoking in movies has on our nation's youth. We disagree with its assertion, however, that giving movies that depict smoking an R rating amounts to censorship. The Motion Picture Assn. of America's rating system is not in place to control the content of films; rather, it allows parents to judge whether they want their children to see specific content such as drug use, violence or other risky behaviors. Because smoking kills more than 400,000 Americans each year and there is evidence (PDF) that more than 67% of adults agree that movies with cigarette smoking should be rated R unless they clearly depict the dangers of smoking, an R rating is simply a pragmatic approach to a public health epidemic.

By Cheryl G. Healton, Bernadette Toomey and Cass Wheeler

September 2, 2008