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CNN.com writes that "gratuitous smoking" has not declined in youth-oriented movies causing concern amongst anti-smoking groups. While the MPAA takes smoking into consideration when assigning a rating, critics argue that not enough is being done. Some anti-smoking advocates are willing to go to the absurd length of slapping an R rating on any film that depicts tobacco use.

A prime example given is this year's "Wolverine" who sports a cigar to complete his tough exterior. American Medical Association Alliance President Sandi Frost is quoted as saying, "I'm willing to bet that not one child would have enjoyed that movie or Mr. Jackman's performance any less if he hadn't been smoking."

Sure, the children enjoyed the over the top violence, the maimings with the bone claws, and the body count depicted from multiple wars--the cigar was not a huge factor. If a parent is taking a young person to see such films, maybe there are worse elements than puffing on a cancer stick.

Traditionally, Wolverine has been drawn with the stub in his mouth since his character's inception. Without it, it would be like Popeye without his pipe in the old animated cartoons (unfortunately Popeye has been sanitized in recent years too). If you're going to remove the stogie, Wolverine could also use a shave in order to show children what men look like when they have to go to an office job to support a family, but that's not how the hero is defined.

If the correlation is made between on screen smoking and copycat smoking by young viewers, are we to assume that the on screen violence is also being mimicked? Doesn't seem to be the case. It is more likely that smoking among young people is a more complex problem than an "X-man" with a cigar.

The same CNN article related how the American Medical Association Alliance hired a mobile billboard showing a teenage girl asking, "Which movie studios will cause me to smoke this summer?" Yet another move to shift personal responsibility onto entertainment. Can't we teach kids to think for themselves?

It is true that entertainment influences. Hollywood marketing is very successful in selling products based on successful features, but it does not mean we can sanitize all movie characters for the sake of public health concerns.

Dr. Jonathan Fielding, head of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department insists, "Any movie with smoking should be rated R."

Let's think about how ridiculous that policy would become when applied to other harmful factors in young people's lives.

Movies about driving fast will require an R rating. "The Fast and the Furious" shows Vin Diesel speeding. According to Car-Accidents.com, teenagers make up 10 percent of the population but account for 12 percent of all fatal car crashes. Why don't we protest "gratuitous speeding"? Also throw in "gratuitous use of a cellphone while driving" because it causes driving distractions leading to collisions.

Product Placement deserves an R rating. Burgers, soda, candy, chips--all are subliminally hawked in the backgrounds of most major releases. And junk food is one culprit associated with the obesity epidemic amongst teenagers. Steven Spielberg should be required to rerelease "E.T." and digitally edit the Reese's Pieces into a healthy snack like grapes.

You may think junk food is not on par with cigarette smoking, but it may be only a matter of time before the government passes "junk food" laws. CNN, in an article called "House Passes Cheeseburger Bill" interviews congress members arguing that something needs to be done because "one in three children" is currently overweight. Can we say the same about smoking? Is every third child in the United States lighting up?

Movies, while commercially viable, are intended to be art. They involve flawed characters even when those characters are turned into role models by admiring fans. Do we really want clean films up so they will not reflect any vices? Do the anti-smoking groups take into consideration the context in which a character smokes or why they smoke? Hell, Wolverine is self-healing. He's one individual that could smoke his brains out and not have cancer.

Certainly I have not seen any recent movies that glamorize smoking. Cigarette use is often inspired by real world observations and if the writer is also influencing tobacco consumption by portraying it then he or she is caught in a catch 22.

If, as a parent, you do find yourself agreeing with the idea of putting an R-rating on movies showing smoking, then stop and think about what you would do with classic movies like "Casablanca." Let's be fair, If Hugh Jackman can't munch on a stogie, why does Bogart get to let the smoke billow up from his lips?

Instead of targeting Hollywood, anti-smoking groups need to target root causes for teenage smoking. This kind of work does not involve the sexiness of being quoted or invited onto a news show as a talking head. Sanitizing movies for young people is a little like asking them not to think through their decisions. If we can't ask teenagers to determine if they want to risk cancer, why would we allow them the more dangerous decision-making process of driving?

Some young people will make the wrong decision and some will not. Movies never influenced my decision to smoke or not to smoke. I decided to avoid smoking because my Dad told me if I was caught doing it there would be drastic consequences. I also read up on it and came to the conclusion that it was a pretty stupid habit. To be honest, though, I have given in to other stupid habits--mainly an addiction to sugar-laced energy drinks.

I don't want Wolverine replacing his trademark cigar for a carrot in order to keep kids safe from tobacco. If kids are so easily swayed then The American Medical Association Alliance can put up the money for their own "cool" anti-smoking movie and find a clean-living celebrity to whore their message. The problem is when adults try to force their views onto kids, either directly or by subtle manipulation, kids find out and tend to do the opposite--just to tick everyone off.

And you know, when you rate something "R," that's like saying "you have to watch me" to a kid...

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Correction: A previous version of this article identified Sandi Frost as the president of the American Medical Association. She is president of the AMA Alliance.

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