In a surprising cultural shift, cigarettes are making a visible comeback in the entertainment world, appearing increasingly on magazine covers, in music videos, and even on the red carpet. This resurgence of smoking imagery, often glamorized by celebrities, is raising alarms among health advocates who fear it could reverse decades of progress in reducing tobacco use.
A recent investigation by *The Wall Street Journal* highlights how smoking has re-entered the spotlight. Pop stars like Addison Rae and Lorde reference cigarettes in their lyrics, while Sabrina Carpenter has even incorporated Marlboro Gold packaging into high-fashion runway attire. This trend extends to cinema as well; a report by the Truth Initiative and the University of Chicago's NORC found that about half of all films released last year featured smoking scenes, a 10% increase from 2023.
Jared Oviatt, who runs the Instagram account @cigfluencers, documents this trend, noting a growing popularity of smoking among younger generations influenced by stars like Dua Lipa and Charli XCX. While smoking rates in the U.S. are at historic lows, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that youth heavily exposed to onscreen smoking are more likely to pick up the habit. With smoking linked to over 30 diseases and a third of U.S. cancer deaths, the normalization of tobacco use in media poses a tangible public health risk.
Despite the availability of alternatives like vaping and nicotine pouches, the "retro appeal" of traditional cigarettes seems to be capturing a new audience, challenging the effectiveness of past anti-smoking campaigns.
