Cigarettes and cinema : does parental restriction of R-rated movie viewing reduce adolescent smoking susceptibility?

Survey was conducted among 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade middle school students in Wisconsin, to determine their use of cigarettes, exposure to smoking in media, their views of smoking, and peer smoking behaviours. Parental restriction of movie viewing was associated with lower adolescent smoking susceptibility and lower smoking rates.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.09.017

Comment: The media can have a significant impact on children and youth. This article is proof that watching someone smoke in the movies can influence a young person to start smoking.

Lydia's comments: Parents! Are you restricting your teen's movie viewing in an attempt to prevent early initiation of tobacco use? According to this study, you're doing the right thing.....