Many movies depict children and minors (and non smoking actors) actively smoking a cigarette and blowing actual smoke. How is that done?
asked Jun 3, 2012 at 0:17
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3 Answers
Actually the film makers claim that the cigarettes used by the minors are tobacco-free cigarettes or nicotine-free cigarettes. They are commonly called herbal cigarette.
According to wikipedia,
Herbal cigarettes are also used in acting scenes by performers who are non-smokers, or -- as is becoming increasingly common -- where anti-smoking legislation prohibits the use of tobacco in public spaces.Herbal cigarettes are not viewed as physically addictive, as they do not contain addictive substances.
answered Jun 3, 2012 at 6:19
One of the more famous scenes of a young actress smoking is Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon:
This article quotes her as saying:
"Peter [Bogdanovich, the director] wanted me to smoke in the movie, but the cigarettes were filled with lettuce, not tabacco. They glued sandpaper to my fingers so I could strike a match one-handed."
It also has discussions of the following other young actresses:
- Natalie Portman in Leon: The Professional
- Thora Birch in Now and Then
- Dakota Fanning in Hounddog
- Kiernan Shipka on Mad Men
- AnnaSophia Robb in Sleepwalking
As mentioned in another answer, they almost all mention some type of herbal cigarettes.
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Peter Bogdanovich has recorded an audio commentary to Paper Moon, included as a bonus feature on the DVD, in which he explains the same points here attributed to Tatum O'Neil.– ChaimCommented Nov 18, 2022 at 1:28
I think the actors suck the smoke only into their mouths, but not into their lungs so it doesn't do damage to the lungs.
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6but how do they keep from increasing the chances of mouth cancer, if they are using real cigarettes, with tobacco and nicotine? Commented Nov 30, 2014 at 14:41
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1@CGCampbell You don't get cancer from a few cigarettes (not that I would approve of having kids smoking under any condition, btw.) Commented Jan 25, 2016 at 4:34
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