Celebrities try to make smoking cool again

After years of declining and low smoking rates, cigarettes have resurfaced in pop music and movies, raising concerns that smoking rates could once again rise.

The Wall Street Journal reported that "cigarettes now have a retro appeal" to some, speaking with young smokers who have taken up the habit. Pop stars such as Addison Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, and Lorde have either sung songs with lyrics containing references to smoking or included in the act in music videos. Around half of all movies that debuted in 2024 included appearances of tobacco products, up 10 percent from the prior year.

Maddie Bell, a 21-year-old college student in Connecticut, told the outlet that she grew up knowing the risks of smoking. However, by the time she reached high school, figures such as the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas had her curious. She said, "cigarettes looked cool."

She said that she had picked up smoking over the past year, with the occasional weekend cigarette at weekend parties with friends turning into a routine after a semester in Europe. "That’s when I went from being drawn to nicotine to it becoming a real habit," she said, noting that while her favorite brand is Marlboro, she prefers the roll-your-own tobacco from Natural American Spirit because of its cost. She has "a huge part of why I’m into smoking is because it’s a very social thing," adding that ideally, she would quit, "but I guess it’s a habit. It’s hard to kick."

Jared Oviatt runs the Instagram account "cigfluencers," which has highlighted the smoking habits of celebrities since 2021. He told the outlet that he started the account because he and his friends had always thought smoking looked cool.

"I would argue antismoking campaigns were too effective," said Oviatt. "That paved the way for vaping. When vaping became uncool, it paved the path for cigarettes." Anti-smoking campaigns have flooded screens since the early 2000s, with celebrities and high-profile figures publicly shunning the act.

Among the recent posts included on Oviatt’s account are recent and past photos of Will Arnett, Robert Pattinson, Ben Affleck, and Lily Allen.

Columbia University graduate student Amira Hakimi told the outlet she usually smokes twice per month after parties. "You step out of the bar, you feel all that cold air, and it’s quiet. That’s the moment that everyone’s like, ‘Oh, we should smoke a cig.’" She said that vaping is "corny," while "smoking cigarettes is a very timeless act."

The Wall Street Journal reported, "With more actors, pop stars and other celebrities spotted unapologetically smoking, the cultural taboo against it shows signs of ebbing. That worries antismoking advocates, who fear a reversal of the yearslong decline in U.S. smoking rates."

Ollie Ganz, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, said, "I find that concerning, glamorous, attractive people smoking cigarettes." A 2019 CDC report found that "Youths heavily exposed to onscreen smoking imagery are more likely to begin smoking than are those with minimal exposure."