Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Editorial: Tobacco Use in Movies by Teresa Vang



At ages where cognitive development is still maturing and struggling to discover one’s own identity, youth are susceptible to the influence of smoking. Many teens go to extremes trying to fit in and sometimes follow others who make the wrong choices. Smoking is an alternative that can risk the lives of many, it is a collateral damage. Not only are the smokers themselves affected by the harmful tobacco, but also those who inhale the cigarette smoke. There are countless movie productions supporting smoking and secondhand smoking. We could see tobacco used in PG-13 movies like “Avatar” and “Dream Girls” which are seen by millions. I find it hard to believe that Hollywood movies recruit over 390,000 teen smokers a year and what’s devastating is 120,000 of them will die from tobacco-related illnesses. The statistics were studies of attitudes about smoking in the movies by the Social Research Center. Showing a popular celebrity or youth actor/actress using tobacco in motion pictures will further influence kids to follow them. If they are going to use tobacco in PG-13 movies, they should show the bad side of smoking to educate kids instead of portraying it as a positive thing.


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