While teenage smoking rates in the U.S. have dropped to less than 3%—a testament to public health progress—health experts are growing alarmed over the resurgence of smoking as a ‘cool’ symbol in pop culture. This trend is being fueled by a movement that seeks to re-glamorize cigarette use, particularly among Gen Z, who are increasingly exposed to social media content that frames smoking as an attractive and stylish behavior. Instagram accounts like @Cigfluencers, which have amassed over 83,000 followers, contribute to this phenomenon by posting provocative photos of celebrities such as Sabrina Carpenter, Ben Affleck, and Natalie Portman smoking, creating a misleading impression that smoking is trendy and desirable for youth.
Health professionals warn that this cultural shift could have serious public health consequences. According to Dr. Neil W. Schluger, dean of the School of Medicine at New York Medical College, the decline in smoking rates over the past 20 years is a major success for public health, but the normalization of smoking in pop culture risks reversing this progress. Prochaska, a professor at Stanford University focusing on tobacco dependence, emphasizes that younger generations are particularly susceptible to the influence of social media content, with studies showing that adolescents who repeatedly consume smoking-related media are more likely to start using tobacco products. These findings are especially concerning because the long-term health effects of smoking only manifest over a decade or more, making it easy for young people to overlook the risks.
Furthermore, the resurgence of smoking is not occurring in isolation but is part of a broader societal shift. The mid- to late-1990s saw one-third of high-schoolers smoking, but that rate has now dropped to below 3%, as reported by the American Lung Association. However, health experts like Dr. Daniel J. Boffa caution that tracking these trends is increasingly difficult because young people are less likely to participate in surveys and behavioral patterns can change rapidly. Boffa also highlights that around 8% of Gen Z teens currently use e-cigarettes, a growing concern because some young adults may transition from e-cigarettes to traditional smoking, especially as the long-term effects of vaping remain unclear.
The potential for smoking to return as a cultural norm is compounded by the growing popularity of vaping, which peaked in 2019 due to brands like JUUL. This brand’s success was largely due to kid-friendly flavors, discreet design, and effective marketing, which resonated with youth and contributed to a spike in vaping rates. Prochaska notes that while vaping is on the decline among younger people, its influence is extending into the broader young adult demographic. These trends, combined with the normalization of smoking in social media, could ultimately lead to a resurgence of tobacco use among a new generation, undermining decades of public health achievements.