Arnold Schwarzenegger has slammed attempts by anti-smoking campaigners trying to rid Hollywood films of cigarettes and cigars.The actor-turned-politician is a renowned cigar aficionado and whilst he insists children need to be warned of the dangers of tobacco, he argues that filmmakers who wish to feature smoking should be able to exercise their artistic freedom, particularly in period settings.The governor of California said: "I personally don't believe that we should erase cigarettes in movies. I don't believe that we should erase when someone smokes a cigar in a movie. I think that we should remind people and kids all the time about the dangers of smoking."To all the sudden tell actors not to smoke a cigarette in a movie when they portray a character ... is ludicrous. I think this is going too far."

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