Children barred from seeing classic films over plans to impose 18 certificate for smoking

Children under 18 will be banned from watching films that depict characters smoking under plans being considered by council ‘thought police’. An 18 certificate – usually reserved for movies with violent and sexual content – will be slapped on any film featuring smokers that fails to explain cigarettes are bad for you.

Such titles include Disney’s classic 101 Dalmatians cartoon, in which the evil Cruella de Vil waves a cigarette holder. The ban will target new releases, but could affect older films such as 101 Dalmatians and Disney’s Peter Pan, the Little Mermaid and Pinnocchio if they are reissued and reclassified. Casablanca, Titanic and Lord of the Rings would be restricted to adults under the plans proposed for Liverpool.

Note this one exception:

One exception to the new rules will be movies which feature major historical characters who are known to be smokers. So any films with Winston Churchill [We wouldn’t want the kiddies to miss out on viewing warmonger Winnie now, would we?] brandishing his trademark cigar would not be affected.

Yep, I sure started a three-pack-a-day smoking habit when I was 9 years old after seeing Sean Connery with a cigarette dangling from his mouth in his first scene in Dr. No.