All movies depicting smoking should be rated "R," restricting access to customers under age 17, according to health advocates who released a new survey showing that most Americans believe movie smoking scenes influence young people to smoke.

WNDU-TV reported Feb. 12 that the American Medical Association Alliance called on the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to change its rating system to include smoking. The group released a survey showing that 70 percent adults and parents said that movies that include smoking scenes should be rated R, and estimated that smoking in movies encourages 400,000 adolescents each year to start smoking.

The AMA Alliance also said that 68 percent of PG13 movies released last year featured smoking.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that an MPAA spokesperson responded by saying, "Everyone agrees that smoking is a very serious health problem, and the MPAA is currently exploring ways to discourage teen smoking with the Harvard School of Public Health and others. Ratings are meant to provide parents with information so they can make informed decisions about their children's movie watching experience."

The results of the Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control are available online.