That's All Folks for On-Screen Smoking
By Hayley Birch
Public spaces in the UK will soon be smoke-free, we've already seen cigarettes banned in public eateries; the next step - banning cartoon cigarettes?
Forget Tom & Jerry's murderous capers, Ofcom are more concerned by a ciggy than household pets gleefully bashing each others brains out with frying pans. Texas Tom, in which Tom attempts to roll, light and smoke a cigarette with one hand to impress his lady (cat) friend, is one of the episodes to come under scrutiny. The broadcasting regulators are presumably worried about glamorising smoking in children's programmes because it poses such a significant health risk and are currently considering editing out the offending scene because of a viewer complaint. Obviously hurtling kitchen knives, setting fire to each other and the like are less risky behaviours.
Now, we've done some research and preliminary findings suggest no increased risk of lung cancer is associated with cartoon cigarettes. In fact, there is no evidence to link the smoking of cartoon cigarettes to any negative effect on health. Premature ageing, emphysema, impotence and everything your regular packet of fags warns you about - all easily avoided by swapping for their cartoon counterparts. Amazing. So Ofcom, what have you got to say for yourselves now, huh? We should be handing them out at children's parties.
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