WHO: Countries Need Enforceable Policies to Restrict Smoking in Movies

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on countries to create policies that would restrict images of smoking in movies.

Previous research indicates that smoking in movies lead youth to believe that smoking is normal, acceptable and socially beneficial, according to the WHO. Studies show that tobacco products are portrayed as part of a glamorous lifestyle rather than as harmful and addictive.

The WHO recommended that movies with smoking scenes receive adult ratings. Scenes that show the dangers of smoking or show historical figures who smoked would still be acceptable in youth movies, the WHO said.

“Smoking does not belong in youth-rated movies,” said Douglas Bettcher, director of WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative. “The more smoking adolescents see on screen, the more likely they are to start smoking. These simple policies can save generations of young people from a lifetime of addiction and an early death from tobacco.”