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Merseyside | Smoking-in-films rating debated 

People in Liverpool are being asked to give their opinion over plans to give films featuring people who smoke an automatic 18 rating.

The city council has put the idea out to public consultation after receiving an application from the local primary care trust (PCT) in June.

Films with images of smoking would only be suitable for adult viewing.

About 5,300 under-18-year-olds smoke in Liverpool, half of whom were influenced by films, the PCT has claimed.

If the proposals came into force, the 18 rating would not apply to films that provide a "clear and unambiguous portrayal of the dangers of smoking, other tobacco use, or second-hand smoke".

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