Smoking on TV

Films and TV programs are rated based on what audiences they are appropriate for. Nonetheless, the classification system is controversial in many cases. One concerns the exposure of children and teenagers to images depicting smoking. Most of such films are rated 12A (suitable for 12 year olds and over), but many believe that they may be harmful and there should be a blanket ban on smoking in films.


Indeed, researchers from the University of Bristol have found that teenagers are 73% more likely to start smoking if seeing most films showing smokers and 50% more likely to be a current smoker (The Telegraph, 2011). The BBFC, however, state that their guidelines are “proportionate; take due account of the available evidence of harm; and reflect the clear wishes of the public” (in: Child, 2011). The body’s director, David Cooke states that there is “no public support for automatically classifying, for instance, a PG film at 18 just because it happens to contain a scene of smoking.”
In BBFC’s Classification Guidelines there are included many statements by various people (including parents) who claim that smoking is a natural thing and there is no getting away from exposure to it, if not on screen then on the street, in real life. It is not a crime, but perceived as part of everyday life, something not very influential as people got used to it. Some mention that people should concentrate on the ‘real’ dangers, such as racism.
Still there are groups of people who believe that images of smoking should be removed from films rated under “18” (for audiences younger than the age of 18). One anti-smoking group in Liverpool launched a campaign to achieve this, in the belief that if successful, there would be less underage smokers in the UK. However the BBFC responded that this would lead to “absurd over-classifications” (BBFC Annual Report, 2007, p.17).
In a BBC News debate, the researcher Ailsa Lyons claims that the exposure to images of smoking triggers the desire to smoke in younger people and she is strongly for the “18” rating of such films. However, Jason Solomons uses far more convincing arguments against this notion, explaining that smoking is depicted in films as a bad thing, a symbol of evil, sickness and degradation. In his opinion smoking among youths is more likely to be caused by smokers within the family or peer pressure (Roberts, 2011).
Apart from the potential consequences caused by smoking on-screen, another issue arises. “Movie makers argue it is about freedom of expression and films should reflect real life” (McDonald, 2011). Smoking is considered to be a ‘bad thing’ by society, but should it not be approached and talked about? Is it not better to address an issue, rather than hide it? And would the banning of depicting smokers make cigarettes more desirable, a forbidden fruit?
To sum up, the debate on whether the exposure of young people to images of smoking is truly harmful to them has not yet reached a definite conclusion. It is very difficult to prove whether watching people smoking on-screen influences anybody to smoke too, as there are many external factors, including family behaviour and pressure from friends or aspirational groups. The British Board of Film Classification realises this and since the lack of certain proof they disagree with the blanket ban on smoking in films. Personally, I agree with their decision, as one would have to study each participant in-depth, taking their psychological background and the environment they live in into account, in order to determine if it was in deed the films that drove them into smoking.