New Report Warns: Viral Smoking Imagery Could Undermine Youth Prevention Gains

Associated Press

30-06-2025

Truth Initiative's seventh annual 'While You Were Streaming' report exposes the ongoing presence of tobacco in top shows, movies, and music videos
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As youth e-cigarette use declines to the lowest in a decade — a hard-won public health victory — a new trend in pop culture threatens to reverse that progress. Smoking is once again being glamorized across entertainment and social media, with viral images of celebrities like Charli XCX and Jeremy Allen White lighting up. Truth Initiative's seventh annual While You Were Streaming report finds that smoking depictions in movies surged by 70% in 2023, and the number of movies depicting tobacco increased for the first time since 2020 — all while research shows that exposure to such imagery can triple a young person's odds of starting to vape nicotine.
The report, titled 'Lights, Camera, Addiction: How Persistent On-Screen Tobacco Imagery Continues to Fuel Nicotine Addiction Among Young Audiences,' reveals that seven of the top 15 shows most popular among 15- to 24-year-olds in 2023 displayed tobacco. All but one of those shows have appeared in previous reports, including animated series like 'The Simpsons,' 'Family Guy,' and 'American Dad,' underscoring how tobacco imagery remains a persistent problem.
The picture is even worse on the big screen, with the number of movies depicting tobacco increasing for the first time since 2020. And while the number of chart-topping songs featuring tobacco in music videos decreased from 2022, nearly one in four still included tobacco and collectively reached nearly five billion views on YouTube as of October 2024.
The report comes at a moment when teen vaping has dropped to its lowest levels in a decade, an encouraging sign of progress. Yet data show that 20% of young adults are still at risk of a lifetime of nicotine addiction.
The consequences of youth nicotine use are well documented: Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain, and nicotine addiction can increase stress and intensify symptoms of depression and anxiety. These risks are especially troubling amid the youth mental health crisis, as the latest CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows teen mental health has declined over the past decade.
'While youth vaping is down, on-screen tobacco imagery threatens to undo that progress,' said Dr. Jessica Rath, Senior Vice President, Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute. 'Young people deserve content and on-screen resources that support their well-being — not imagery that makes them more likely to start smoking or vaping.'
Widespread tobacco imagery, often portrayed as edgy, rebellious, or cool, risks normalizing nicotine use and slowing the current positive momentum in prevention. In 2023 alone, nearly 17 million young people were exposed to streaming shows that featured tobacco. Research from Truth Initiative shows that the more young people see tobacco imagery while binge-watching, the more likely they are to report intentions to vape or smoke in the future.
After years of declines, tobacco imagery is once again on the rise in popular films. It's been more than a decade since the U.S. Surgeon General concluded in 2012 that young people exposed to tobacco imagery in movies are significantly more likely to start smoking. Multiple studies have established that this response is also dose-dependent — meaning the more frequently young audiences see tobacco use on-screen, the more likely they are to initiate it themselves.
The influence doesn't stop at shows and films. Tobacco imagery also appears in music videos — a format with massive reach and appeal among young audiences.
'The data are clear - tobacco imagery on screen causes tobacco initiation among youth and young adults. The entertainment industry has a choice. It can help protect an entire generation or continue to expose them to harmful images that make nicotine addiction more likely,' Rath said. 'Decision makers at all levels including policy, entertainment executives such as leaders of streaming platforms and broadcast networks, showrunners, directors, writers, actors, and music artists, have a role to play to help protect young people from a lifetime of addiction.'
Truth Initiative calls for a comprehensive set of actions and policies to mitigate the harm of depicting tobacco onscreen, such as:
To read the full report and list of entertainment industry recommendations, as well as for research methodology, visit truthinitiative.org.
About Truth Initiative
Truth Initiative® is a national nonprofit public health organization committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is to prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower quitting for all. Through our evidence-based, market-leading cessation intervention, EX® Program, and national public education campaigns, we lead the fight against youth and young adult tobacco use. Learn more at truthinitiative.org.
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SOURCE Truth Initiative