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Originally Posted by reapersaurus
Hey -I'll do my part to get a thread movin'  |
:P
Naturally, there is going to be some influence, but I only said it had no (or maybe minimal) impact on me in regards to smoking. But, perhaps that is because my father and most of his friend smoke(d), taking an edge off the curiousity. There was also far more smoking in films during my childhood. I can think of only one example of smoking tied to a movie, and it was a friend's brother who picked up a pipe because of LOTR, but that was merely a tangent off of current habits.
Now, if Harry Potter smoked, that would be one thing, but what smoking I've seen in movies of the last decade or so has been greatly minimized and I wouldn't immediately define it as cool. My real point is, even if a film sparks curiousity or implants a cool image, that influence is weak in comparison to the influence of friends and family. I doubt that even Joe Camel was as influential as peers, as most people don't like being the odd one out. And, of course, it has already been pointed out that people today, especially youths, are far more educated on the subject than just 10-15 years ago.
I simply don't see the smoking in films alone pushing someone past that knowledge of the bad effects, the taste, the high costs, and the stigma associated with it, into a habitual tobacco user. Film may play a part, but a rather small (dare I say negligible?) part.
One area where my thoughts on this differs is if you are or ever were a smoker. Imagine the cravings that may be triggered.