Nasty effect of ‘nasties’

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 15

Nasty effect of ‘nasties’

NZPA-AAP London Many children who watch “video nasties” suffer from nightmares, become nervous or violent, and begin using bad language, according to a survey in the "Daily Mail.”

Others become physically ill with symptoms ranging from nausea to the onset of epileptic fits. The findings came from

10,000 replies to a questionnaire in “Woman’s Own” magazine about the sickening films.

Among the anwers was one from a female nurse who wrote: “I have come into contact with a number of children suffering from effects of video nasties. One child admitted to my casualty ward literally died of fright.”

Professor Ivor Mills, head of medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, who has studied the effect of violent films on patients, commented: “It is theoretically possible that a child could reach such a stage of excitement that the heart begins to beat irregularly, blood stops circulating to the brain and the result is death.”

Although more than half the parents who replied felt they were in control of their children’s viewing habits inside and outside the home, the remaining 44 per cent believed their offspring ran a serious risk of seeing video nasties elsewhere.

A proposal backed by the Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, to ban the sale of soft porn videos is likely to be defeated when the Bill to outlaw video nasties comes before the Commons Committee this week, the “Daily Mail” suggested.