If Cigarettes Affect Movie Ratings, Will Hollywood Change?

March 16, 2007— -- The Motion Picture Association of America this week hinted that onscreen smoking may become a factor in the rating decisions for newly released movies.

This could signal a major shift in an industry in which Hollywood stars have long glamorized cigarettes and cigarette smoking.

The MPAA's ratings, which range from G to NC-17, have long been a source of controversy for movie studios, directors and audiences.

Last year's "This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated" revealed the often obscure methods by which movies are rated.

It has long been public knowledge that major studios work to secure favorable ratings for summer blockbusters so that they reach as large an audience as possible. Box-office sales often follow directly from there.

Public pressure may have something to do with the MPAA's change of direction.

A recent survey funded by the American Medical Association highlighted concerns about the effect of seeing famous actors light up. More than 80 percent of adults "agree that smoking in movies influences teens to smoke," according to the survey, which was conducted over three years by Mississippi State University's Social Science Research Center.

Furthermore, of the more than 6,000 adult survey respondents, 70 percent called for R-ratings in movies that show smoking, unless the film clearly demonstrates the dangers of smoking, or smoking is required for the authentic portrayal of a historical figure.

The MPAA's President Dan Glickman addressed this issue in a speech to industry executives in Las Vegas this past Tuesday. "For some time we have recognized that teen smoking is a major concern for parents," he said, adding, "we want to ensure that our ratings keep these concerns appropriately in mind and are updated as necessary."

Though the MPAA would not say when any concrete change to ratings criteria might take effect, some prominent anti-tobacco campaigners believe that a move to slap a higher rating on movies that contain smoking cannot come too soon.