Tobacco in Pop Culture

On-screen smoking shapes real-world behaviors 

Decades of research have established that on-screen tobacco imagery can increase the odds of youth smoking and vaping.  

Research on the harms of on-screen tobacco imagery was established in 2012, when the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that young people are more likely to smoke when they see more tobacco imagery in movies.  

More recently, Truth Initiative research published in Preventive Medicine found that exposure to on-screen tobacco imagery in episodic programming can triple a young person’s odds of starting to vape nicotine. Multiple studies have established a dose-response relationship where the more often someone is exposed to on-screen tobacco use, the more likely they are to start using nicotine products. 

How a deadly addiction gets disguised as a retro trend 

From Oscar-nominated films to celebrities lighting up on social media, it feels like smoking is everywhere in pop culture. With cigarettes reappearing in the cultural zeitgeist, some reporters have posed the question — is smoking "cool" again?  

The answer is obvious. Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S., and is responsible for nearly half a million deaths every year; hardly something to celebrate. This grim reality is rarely part of the carefully curated images and social media posts that increasingly glamorize cigarettes for a new generation. 

Decades of public health progress have brought youth smoking rates to record lows. However, the resurgence of smoking in popular culture threatens to undo this accomplishment. Those who shape culture must consider the influence they have, particularly on young people, and must not allow a deadly addiction to be repackaged as the next retro trend. 

While You Were Streaming

Truth Initiative has been tracking on-screen tobacco imagery since 2018, releasing its findings annually through the “While You Were Streaming” report series.  

We also partner with NORC at the University of Chicago to release an annual report on tobacco in films. The most recent report found that over half (51%) of the top 152 box office films released in 2024 contained depictions of tobacco, up from 41% in 2023. 

Lights, Camera, Tobacco? 

Truth Initiative’s seventh annual look at tobacco imagery in entertainment found that smoking continues to permeate top shows, movies, and music videos, exposing an estimated 283 million people in theaters and 29.8 million youth via streaming platforms in 2023. 

Other findings include:   

• Seven of the top 15 shows most popular among 15- to 24-year-olds in 2023 displayed tobacco, and of those, all but one has appeared in previous reports, underscoring the problem. 
• The proportion of top binge-watched shows (defined as watching multiple episodes of a show in one sitting) that displayed tobacco imagery increased from 64% in 2022 to 70% in 2023. 
• Of top films released in 2023, 41% contained tobacco, compared to 35% in 2022, according to an analysis by NORC at the University of Chicago. 
• In 2023, almost 1 in 4 (23%) of chart-topping songs with music videos featuring tobacco in their videos, down from 28% in 2022. The videos were viewed almost 5 billion times on YouTube as of October 2024. 

Reports

[2024] Tobacco in Films: 2024 - Over half (51%) of top box office films released in 2024 contained tobacco depictions.

[2023] While You Were Streaming: Lights, Camera, Tobacco? - Tobacco depictions in top shows among 15- to 24-year-olds increased by 110% between 2021 and 2022.

[2022] While You Were Streaming: Tobacco's Starring Role - Tobacco imagery maintained its often starring role in popular on-screen entertainment, as youth e-cigarette use remained a public health crisis.

[2021] While You Were Streaming: Nicotine on Demand - Tobacco remains rampant in the year’s most popular shows, movies, and music videos, fueling the ongoing youth e-cigarette public health crisis.

[2020] While You Were Streaming: Straight to Vape - Pervasive tobacco imagery in popular shows poses new threat, making youth more prone to e-cigarette use.

[2019] While You Were Streaming: Smoking on Demand - A surge in tobacco imagery is putting youth at risk.

[2018] While You Were Streaming - Tobacco use sees a renormalization in on-demand digital content, diluting progress in broadcast & theaters.