This has to stop, or I might have to grab my poster board, glue a stick on, and start protesting. Smoking is disgusting, smelly, and absolutely perfect for certain characters development in movies, television, literature, real-life etc. etc. Not only are anti-smoking groups censoring real life, but now they are extending the censorship into the freedom of our minds - our forms of art - by trying to make anything with smokers in it rated R. What would happen to Marge's twin chain-smoking sisters if this was put into effect?

Not only is this an outrageous censorship of art, (movie makers WILL cut out smoking from a script so more people can see the movie in theaters), but it is counterproductive. Kids aren't exposed to smoking, they won't smoke, right? Wrong. The less they are exposed to smokers in real life, movies etc. the more likely they are to find it mysterious and rebellious and therefore attractive (for when they begin dressing in black and piercing their tongues, what isn't attractive?). They will also develop a skewed view of smokers, associating it with only really morally devoid characters, thereby exacerbating prejudice against people who struggle and feel bad enough about their addiction already. For god's sake, I used to smoke and I've never even had a speeding ticket (not that I'm a saint, but in the eyes of the law I might as well be).

There are many reasons in the journey through life that one will resort to an addiction, and most of the time these people deserve compassion and understanding.

So shut the hell up.

You can't get second hand smoke from a movie.