Sex and smoking

SMOKING AND SEX: A recent study shows that a primary reason children ages 10 to 14 try cigarettes is that they've seen people smoking in the movies. The study, which found smoking in 74 percent of 532 movies surveyed, concluded that 38 percent of young smokers took up the practice because of the influence of movies (USA Today, November 7). Another study indicates that sex-related scenes on television have nearly doubled since 1998. Of the top 20 shows watched by teens, 70 percent include talk of or depictions of sexual situations, at an average of 6.7 per hour (Boston Globe, November 10).