Choose your movies carefully, a new study published in theThe Journal of Neuroscience shows that
“in addition to activating brain areas linked to addiction, watching movies in which people smoke activates brain areas that drive the body movements a smoker makes hundreds of times a day while puffing on a cigarette. The physical habit of reaching for a cigarette and moving it up for a drag is learned so well that watching people smoke in the movies makes brain areas responsible for those movements more active, which could contribute to relapse.” (via Huffi
ngton Post)
They found that smokers leaving movies where actors were shown smoking were more likely to crave a cigarette. “Smokers trying to quit are frequently advised to avoid other smokers and remove smoking paraphernalia from their homes, but they might not think to avoid a movie with smoking content.”
The American Lung Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have tried to prohibit smoking in movies for years. What about drinking?