Boaz paints a pretty interesting picture of the world he would like to see, i.e. totally sin-free. Not only that (because smoking can hardly be regarded as a sin) but entirely pleasure-free to boot.

Smoking, drinking, sex, drugs... what about music, BD? All those people flaunting themselves on the dance floor?

Donald Phau wrote an article called "The Satanic Roots of Rock", in which he points out:

"Modern electronic-rock music, inaugurated in the early 1960s, is, and always has been, a joint enterprise of British military intelligence and Satanic cults. On the one side, the Satanists control the major rock groups through drugs, sex, threats of violence, and even murder. On the other side, publicity, tours, and recordings are financed by record companies connected to British military intelligence circles. Both sides are intimately entwined with the biggest business in the world, the international drug trade.

Have a quick Google at "Satan's music" if the above seems a little outre.

But seriously, when you say "things which we pretty much know and agree are bad for us, if portrayed in films...should be definitely portrayed as having negative consequences", you are simply advocating that films be used as propaganda.

There are many, many people who took drugs in the sixties and still manage to lead totally normal (and drug-free) lives. Bill Clinton?

There are many people who drank alcohol, do not go on rampages and can hold down a responsible job. George Bush?

There are a surprisingly large number of smokers who live on. And on.

"Gregorio Fuentes, who skippered Ernest Hemingway's fabled fishing boat, the Pilar, for more than 20 years died died of cancer at his home in Cojimar. Smoking until the end, Fuentes is sad proof that tobacco kills. He was 104."

There are also people who have had more than one spouse in their lives who live well, happily, and without damage to their families.

To insist that movies only depict a life without smoking, drinking, adultery, drugs and music would be dishonest.

And fiendishly boring.

Absolutely right Pericles, which is why hell would be more interesting than heaven.

On the topic of smoking, I'm trying to get the kids involved but they just don't seem to appreciate the difference between KFC or a take away barbecued chook, and one lovingly smoked at home over a rich, smokey mixture of Lapsang Souchong and cloves.

They don't mind catching the fish, but instantly lose interest in anything that involves hickory chips.

If you ask me, smoking on film doesn't have enough influence. If someone comes up with a murder/drugs/porno flick where the worst characters all sit around campfires killing/injecting/sexing while simultaneously smoking trout I'd be the first to advocate a PS2 game based on the movie.

I'll pick up Pericles point about 'Propoganda'..yep :) thats what I'd like to see, but not so much forced, more from socially responsible movie makers. Arn't Nursery rhymes 'propoganda' ? I know its a difficult area to come down hard and fast on. Make no mistake, creating a sinless society is a pipe dream.
But I'd rather see a trend towards my position in movies than the other direction, glorifying adultery, premarital sex/promiscuity and smoking, drug taking/dependency and drunkenness.

Oh.. I am not against drinking.. the Bible only criticizes drunkenness.

Graham... I don't see many bad people shown to be successful in the long run in the Bible. But I'm sure you can come up with a few having said it already.. Please do :).... Bear in mind, the Bible does tell things warts and all. David was an adulterer and conspired to murder the womans husband.... but he did get punished for it.. the child conceived in adultery died, and he had terrible guilt (Psalm 51) and remorse.

The books of kings and Chronicles are a litany of "And king so and so did evil in the sight of the Lord" and then it shows how his life became a total train wreck because of his evil.

I have to wonder why the NSW Health department thinks that anything useful can be learned by asking teenagers what they think is the effect on young people of seeing celebrities smoking. The significant issue is whether it has an effect, not whether teenagers think it does.

In any case, I would be reluctant to see governments dictating the content of films, if only because of the 'slippery slope' argument.

That said, I have to wonder why smoking in dramatic productions remains prevalent, certainly for drama set in the present. There are so many places that one cannot smoke, and so many people who do not smoke, that one should not expect to see that many people smoking in a movie.

Even for productions set in the past, I find the extent of smoking intrusive, even if it is historically accurate. If it's OK for Romans to speak English in "Gladiator" then surely we can leave out the smoking without overly compromising our artistic principles.

Sylvia.

Boaz, David did some dreadful things, yet he is the king most honoured in the Christian, Jewish, and maybe even the Islamic, religions. You can say he was punished, but I guess if he had died of lung cancer you would say the same thing. But would that be a reason for us not to show him enjoying the cigar, or Bathsheba?

Good point Graham... but the complete story of David and Bathsheba includes his remorse and regret.... clearly, he realized his actions were wrong. To leave that out of such a story would be to promote such behavior...and to include it is to discourage it... hence my point.

I would be happy even for the incest of Amnon with his half sister Tamar to be portrayed.

Beginning: II Samuel 13:1

1 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.

(So he orchestrated an opportunity to ravish her, she refused to be used, but...)

The end:

14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!"

16 "No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me."

So, there we have balance... bad action + negative consequences... the full story.