New research from Norris Cotton Cancer Center estimates, for the
first time, the impact of an R rating for movie smoking. James
Sargent, MD, co-director of the Cancer Control Research Program
at Norris Cotton Cancer Center, emphasizes that an R rating for
any film showing smoking could substantially reduce smoking
onset in U.S. adolescents — an effect size similar to making all
parents maximally authoritative in their parenting, Sargent
says. “Smoking is a killer. Its connection to cancer, heart
attacks, and chronic lung disease is beyond doubt. Kids start to
smoke before they’re old enough to think about the risks; after
starting they rapidly become addicted and then regret it.
Hollywood plays a role by making smoking look really good,” says
Sargent. “By eliminating smoking in movies marketed to youth, an
R rating for smoking would dramatically reduce exposure and
lower adolescent smoking by as much as one-fifth.” The study,
“Influence of Motion Picture Rating on Adolescent Response to
Movie Smoking” (Pediat