Tobacco is a Filthy Weed and from the Devil Doth Proceed: A Study of the Government\u27s Efforts to Regulate Smoking on the Silver Screen

Many of the negative effects of tobacco have been addressed by recent litigation and federal regulations. The federal government already regulates tobacco label and advertisement content and prohibits tobacco promotion on television and radio. There are lingering concerns, however, about the effects of depicting tobacco use in movies. This Note examines current tobacco regulations and the justifications asserted for new restrictions on the use of tobacco in movies. This Note further analyzes the First Amendment implications of a ban on tobacco use in movies, and concludes that such use is commercial speech that should be granted heightened Constitutional protection