| MUMBAI:
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has announced that the rating
system is enhancing the amount of information provided to parents on the issue
of smoking in films.
In
the past, illegal teen smoking has been a factor in the rating of films, alongside
other parental concerns such as sex, violence and adult language. Now, all smoking
will be considered and depictions that glamourise smoking or movies that feature
pervasive smoking outside of an historic or other mitigating context may receive
a higher rating.
The
MPAA oversees the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA) on a joint
basis with the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO).
MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman says, “The MPAA film rating system has
existed for nearly 40 years as an educational tool for parents to assist them
in making decisions about what movies are appropriate for their children. It is
a system that is designed to evolve alongside modern parental concerns. I am pleased
that this system continues to receive overwhelming approval from parents, and
is consistently described as a valuable tool they rely upon in making movie-going
decisions for their families. “With
that in mind, the rating board chaired by Joan Graves will now consider smoking
as a factor— among many other factors, including violence, sexual situations
and language—in the rating of films.
"Clearly,
smoking is increasingly an unacceptable behaviour in our society. There is broad
awareness of smoking as a unique public health concern due to nicotine’s
highly addictive nature, and no parent wants their child to take up the habit.
The appropriate response of the rating system is to give more information to parents
on this issue.
“This
action is an extension of our current practice of factoring under-age smoking
into the rating of films. Now, all smoking will be a consideration in the rating
process. Three questions will have particular weight for our rating board when
considering smoking in a film: Is the smoking pervasive? Does the film glamorise
smoking? And, is there an historic or other mitigating context?
"Additionally,
when a film’s rating is affected by the depiction of smoking, that rating
will now include phrases such as ‘glamorized smoking’ or ‘pervasive
smoking.’ This ensures specific information is front and center for parents
as they make decisions for their kids.
“Some
have called for a ‘mandatory R’ rating on all films that contain any
smoking. We do not believe such a step would further the specific goal of providing
information to parents on this issue. Unfortunately, the debate on this extreme
proposal has become heavily politicized, and many inaccurate statements have been
made. While those pushing this proposal are no doubt wellintentioned, it is important
that there is an accurate understanding of the declining prevalence of smoking
in non-R rated films. "The
rating board has comprehensively reviewed depictions of smoking in every rated
film over the past several years. From July 2004 to July 2006, the percentage
of films that included even a fleeting glimpse of smoking dropped from 60 percent
to 52 per cent. "Of
those films, 75 per cent received an ‘R’ rating for other factors. So,
three out of every four films that contained any smoking at all over the past
few years are already rated ‘R.’
“In
our regular dialogue with parents, they frequently note that depictions of smoking
in films have significantly declined in recent years. They often tell us that
they cannot recall a recent incident in which they took their child to a G, PG
or PG-13 film and found a scene involving smoking that was
objectionable.
Moreover, parents are very clear to us that they—not the industry and certainly
not the government—should determine what is appropriate viewing for their
kids. What they want is information, and that is the action we are now taking.” | 
