The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : `No' to smoking

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 02, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

`No' to smoking

The Government's decision to ban smoking scenes in films and television serials from August 1 is welcome. The ban should have come into force years ago. Better late than never.

V. Pandy,
Tuticorin, T.N.

* * *

The move is a great step forward in the anti-tobacco venture. Efforts should also be made to conduct more awareness programmes — seminars, campaigns and counselling — on the bad effects of tobacco use.

N. Vidyadhari,
Thiruvananthapuram

* * *

The Government deserves our sincere thanks for banning smoking on screen. The effort will go a long way in fostering values, particularly among the young.

R. Ponnarasi,
Vellore, T.N.

* * *

The ban is welcome. But violence and sex in serials and movies are also cancerous, ruining gullible minds. The Government should think of banning, besides sex and violence on screen, suggestive advertisements in the media.

V.P. Dhananjayan,
Chennai

* * *

In our releases, we have made it a point not to show smoking scenes. Our directors even redid some parts to eliminate such scenes from the films, Priyamaana Thozhi and Peralagan.

I have strictly instructed my directors that if they justify a scene of smoking in a movie, my name should not appear in the titles as producer. The Government should also take steps to ban scenes showing the use of tobacco in any form. Scenes involving alcohol and drugs should also be banned. Cinema is a powerful medium to which all classes of people are attracted. Therefore scenes of reckless suicide should also be banned.

M. Saravanan,
Managing Partner,
AVM Productions
Chennai

* * *

What about the old movies? Even movies on social themes show the hero or the villain smoking. The Government should do something to regulate those scenes too.

T.R. Viswanathan,
Bangalore

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