Smoking in films

Films that depict actors smoking cigarettes should carry the same age classification as those containing sex and violence, according to experts.

Researchers from the University of Bristol found that 15-year-olds who saw the most films showing actors puffing on a cigarette were 73% more likely to have tried one than those who has seen the least.

They were also almost 50% more likely to be a current smoker than those least exposed.

The UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies has called on the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and the Government to review their policies on film classification, arguing that under-18s need to be protected from potentially harmful imagery.

Dr Andrea Waylen, who led the medical research, said: "More than half the films shown in the UK that contain smoking are rated UK15 or below, so children and young teenagers are clearly exposed./.../