Movie Smoking Sways Kids to Light Up

Movies sway kids to smoke at a much younger age than previously thought, a new study finds. Dartmouth Medical School tracked 2,200 kids aged 9-12 who went to a range of G, PG, and PG-13 films, and found that those who saw more on-screen smoking were more likely to light up later, WebMD reports. "The vast majority of smoking in movies that children are exposed to comes from movies that are youth-rated," one researcher said.

More than 60% of smoking incidents are in PG-13 films, while G and PG contain another 20%, researchers told US News & World Report. In all, youth-oriented flicks influenced 35% of studied child smokers to light up. The study was finished before the Motion Picture Association of America announced last May that it will base ratings partly on smoking in films. (More cigarettes stories.)