MPAA to Include Smoking in Movie Rating System

What we see on the big screen can be influential, and especially so for young, impressionable minds who see their favorite stars in larger-than-life scenes. And when those stars smoke cigarettes, they look glamorous, healthy and cool. With an average of 3000 kids under the age of 18 picking up cigarettes for the first time every day here in the United States, it's high time we put tougher restrictions on smoking in movies.

Yesterday, the Motion Picture Association of America announced that they will now include smoking as a factor when rating movies. In the past, illegal teen smoking was acknowledged during the rating process but now all smoking will be considered, giving parents more information about what their kids will be exposed to in a particular film than ever before.

MPAA Press Release

More on Teen Smoking:

• Smoking Facts for Parents and Teens

• Talking to Kids About the Dangers of Smoking