Families do have a great deal of influence on kids, but not enough. By the teenage years, some experts argue that peers have the majority of effect on kids’ behaviors, not parents. And where do kids get their message of appropriate behavior now? Hollywood.

So doing some work on the way smoking is treated as a public health concern does make sense. Smoking is beginning to be banned in many countries’ indoor spaces and places, such as Ireland, have seen a decrease in heart disease. So that is going to happen.

We’re not talking about banning cigarettes altogether or making them illegal just that those of us who choose not to smoke don’t have to share the same space with people who are lighting up. Secondhand smoke does its damage too.

And I suppose regulations are odious to those of us who appreciate our freedom, but they are needed. Cars and movies have limits placed on them. Spitting is socially frowned upon. Rules are a part of an orderly and considerate society.

But, banning smoking in public or banning glamorous images of smoking in movies is not going to happen. Along the same logic, we should also ban driving cars or show movies with any kind of violence, because car emissions is bad for our health and movies with any kind of violence can influence children too. While we are at it, we should ban spitting all together too. Not only is it gross, it’s bad for public health.

A better way would be to set a good example for children at home by not smoking or teaching them about the negative outcomes of smoking.