Cover Your Children's Eyes

by POPSUGAR Fitness 3

Imagine this, you're watching a movie with your child (niece or nephew) and a fairly risky scene comes on so you cover his or her eyes until the characters are done with their sex and onto their cigarettes. Seems normal, right?

Researchers are reporting that each year in the United States, some 1.4 million children under age 18 start smoking, and half of these start as a direct result of tobacco advertising, which includes the portrayal of tobacco use in films, TV or videos.

Exposure to positive images of smoking increased the odds that children would smoke by about 90%. Children that were exposed to tobacco ads and positive images of smoking were about 50% more likely to want to smoke in the future. In addition, tobacco marketing and media increased the chances that children who already smoked would become heavier smokers by 42%.

So you may want to start adding smoking to the list of things you cover your child's eyes for in movies.