Tobacco in pop culture

The smoking rate has been declining for decades, but entertainment media and pop culture haven’t gotten the picture. Commercial tobacco imagery on screens and in pop culture — including TV, streaming, video games, movies and social media — contributes to the normalization of smoking and continues to portray it as glamorous, rebellious and edgy.

These images have influence, especially among youth and young adults, who are uniquely susceptible to social and environmental influences to use tobacco. For example, research shows that youth with higher exposure to tobacco imagery in movies are twice as likely to start smoking.

Explore our research and resources on tobacco in pop culture and entertainment.