Pop culture embraces smoking as ‘cool’ again — and Gen Z youth are watching

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Gen Z — largely comprised of middle- and high-school students — reported thelowest smoking rateson record in 2024, according to CDC and FDA data, but that trend may be in jeopardy.

“Overall, the decline in smoking in the U.S., [down] to about 11.9% of the population overall, is a great public health success story that has occurred over the past 20 years,” Dr.Neil W.

Some experts, however, fear that the “cool factor” could be making a comeback, hooking a new generation on smoking.

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In certain populations, there is reportedly a movement to re-glamorizecigarette smoking, Schluger said.

One Instagram account, @Cigfluencers, posts photos of celebrities with cigarettes to its more than 83,000 followers.

Some experts fear that the “cool factor” could be making a comeback, hooking a new generation on smoking.(iStock)

“SMOKING HOT!” reads a caption for a provocative image of Sabrina Carpenter smoking over a bathroom sink.“Also, Smoking = Hot.”

Additional celebrities who have been open about their cigarette use — and are also pictured on @Cigfluencers — include Ben Affleck, Jeremy Allen White and Natalie Portman, among others.

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“Influencers can be influenced by marketing dollars and can attract younger generations, particularly if the channels used are popular among younger people, such as with social media,” said Judith J.Prochaska, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University in California, whose research focuses on developing effective treatments for tobacco dependence.

Multiple studies show that adolescents and young adults who watch smoking-related content are more likely to begin using tobacco products in the future, but those risks are magnified when they engage with tobacco content on social media.

Gen Z reported the lowest smoking rates on record in 2024, according to CDC and FDA data, though that trend may be in jeopardy.(iStock)

“It’s confusing and a dangerous contradiction for young people who take their cues from pop culture andcelebrity influencers, and are especially vulnerable to believe that smoking is more popular than it really is,” stated a news article on Truth Initiative’s website.

In a recent opinion piece published in The BMJ, the author wrote that smoking is experiencing a “pop-culture revival” that is an “unwelcome throw-back forpublic health.”

“This normalization of smoking risks is re-igniting a harmful cultural association between cigarettes and coolness, to which young people are particularly vulnerable,” the article says.

Smoking trends among youth

In the mid- to late-90s, around one-third of high-schoolers smoked cigarettes.That has dropped to less than 3% today, according to the American Lung Association.

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“It is harder to track trends inyouth and young adults, because they tend to be less connected to survey efforts, and behaviors can change quickly,” Dr.Daniel J.

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“The signals we do have suggest thattobacco smoking ratesare much lower in Gen Z than for some earlier generations.”

Boffa noted, however, that around 8% of Gen Z teens use e-cigarettes — “which is important because we really don’t know the long-term effect of e-cigarettes yet, and some young adults will switch over from e-cigarettes tosmoking tobacco.”

In the mid- to late-90s, around one-third of high-schoolers smoked cigarettes.That has dropped to less than 3% today, according to the American Lung Association.(iStock)

The U.S.saw a surge in vaping rates in 2019, largely due to the popularity of the brand JUUL, which resonated among youth because of its high nicotine delivery, discreet design, kid-friendly flavors and appealing marketing tactics, Prochaska noted.

E-cigarettes are also on the rise among young adults — in part due to adolescents aging into young adulthood, she added.

Health risks of smoking

Over 90% of long-term smokers started before the age of 18, Boffa said.

“The problem with tobacco smoking in the teenage and young adult years is that the most severe health-related consequences won’t appear for a few decades, making it easier to ignore the warnings,” he warned.

chronic obstructive lung disease, according to Mayo Clinic.

The habit can also increase cancer risk, health experts warn.Humans produce random mutated cells that can potentiallybecome cancerous, but a healthy immune system usually eliminates those cells.

Mature doctor using a digital tablet for his diagnosis.

When someone smokes, toxic substances enter the body and depress the immune system, giving those mutated cells a chance to grow and become cancerous.(iStock)

When someone smokes, however, toxic substances enter the body and depress the immune system, giving those mutated cells a chance to grow and become cancerous.

Repeated exposure can also increase the risk of oral health problems,pregnancy harms, sexual dysfunction and even mental health effects, Prochaska warned.

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Smoking is also a risk factor forcoronary artery disease, aneurysms in the aorta (the main artery of the heart), peripheral vascular disease, and heart attacks and strokes, according to the FDA.

“The reduction in tobacco use in the U.S.is a huge advance in public health, and we should be vigilant not to slide backwards,” Schluger said.

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