Smoke Screen

The chief of the Edinburgh Fringe is petitioning the Scottish executive for an exemption to the asinine smoking ban by allowing actors to light up herbal cigarettes on stage and in film studios, otherwise many plays and films will be impossible to produce in Scotland.

Though the idea has garnered some positive feedback, Celia Stevenson, a spokeswoman for Scottish Screen, is having nothing to do with it,

We would be very happy to talk to Mr Gudgin about his views but smoking on screen can encourage people to smoke and we do not want to do that.

Judging from the state of current cinema, this observation does not apply to portrayals of promiscuity, violence, political radicalism, coarse manners, sexual deviancy or bad acting.