R rating for films showing smoking could discourage teens from trying it

A new research has established a cause-and-effect in adolescent smoking onset according to film rating.

James Sargent, co-director cancer control, Norris Cotton Cancer Center said that the film industry should take smoking as seriously as they take profanity when applying the R rating.

He added that that an R rating for any film showing smoking could substantially reduce smoking onset in U.S. adolescents and urged parents to take an active, authoritative stand with their teenage children against smoking.

He emphasized the ill-effects of smoking, which include cancer, heart attacks and chronic lung disease, and said that kids start to smoke before they're old enough to think about the risks and soon get addicted to it, later regretting it.

According to the 'Surgeon General's Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress', Hollywood plays a role by making smoking look really good and an R rating for smoking would dramatically reduce exposure and lower adolescent smoking by as much as one-fifth.