The MPAA has admitted that for the first time smoking in films is going to be taken into account when giving the films a rating.

The comment from the MPAA CEO Dan Glickman reveals the reasoning:

"...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 behavior 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."

The story comes from The Hollywood Reporter.

Oh I'm torn on this one. There's the side of me that agrees with what he's saying, and then the other side that thinks that this could be a thing end of a wedge moment. Should we include drug takingin the criteria? Alchoholic drinking? Anti-social behaviour? Fast driving? Dangerous stunts? Moralistically dubious behaviour?

If we hide something in society does it make us feel like we're doing something about it?