Public health experts and cultural commentators are raising fresh alarm over a visible tobacco renaissance, as data shows a sharp resurgence in smoking imagery across popular culture alongside rising nicotine consumption figures. According to reporting from the Guardian, tobacco depictions in the 15 most popular streaming shows among 15-to-24-year-olds surged by 110% between 2021 and 2022, while Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show national nicotine consumption jumped by 40% between 2017 and 2025.
The Pop Culture Resurgence of Smoking
Cigarettes have steadily worked their way back into the cultural mainstream through high-profile media placements and celebrity appearances. According to the Guardian, high-profile figures including Kylie Jenner have lit up on magazine covers, while characters in hit streaming programs like Euphoria frequently appear with cigarettes. Public health non-profit Truth Initiative documented this shift in its Lights, Camera, Tobacco? report, noting that over half of young people’s most-watched streaming shows featured tobacco imagery.
Did you know? Tobacco imagery in top Billboard music videos more than doubled from 2021 to 2022, climbing from nearly 13% to 28%, according to media data analyzed by public health researchers cited by the Guardian.
Why Experts Say the Trend Is Dangerous
Public health advocates warn that glamorous depictions normalize a habit that carries severe, long-term health consequences. According to Rachael Andersen, Quit director at Cancer Council Victoria, quoted in the Guardian, gratuitous depictions across film, music, and social media create a false perception of coolness. Andersen noted that when used as intended, smoking kills two in three lifetime users.
Firsthand accounts from individuals affected by tobacco underline the devastating toll of the addiction. Writing for Business Insider and The Journal, essayists recount growing up with parents debilitated or killed by smoking-related illnesses, contrasting the sleek aesthetics of cinema with the harsh reality of oxygen tanks, hospital visits, and metastatic lung cancer.
The Vape-to-Cigarette Pipeline
Regulatory clampdowns on e-cigarettes have created unexpected behavioral shifts among younger consumers. Following Australia’s July 2024 ban on the recreational sale and importation of vapes, some consumers have migrated back to traditional cigarettes. As a 22-year-old personal trainer named Levi told the Guardian, some people picked up cigarettes as a way to limit the constant, discreet consumption habits associated with vaping.
“It’s a lot easier to limit cigarettes than vaping because you have to go outside, wash your hands, brush your teeth. But with vaping you can kind of do it anywhere, anytime, very discreetly.” — Levi, personal trainer and smoker, via the Guardian
Frequently Asked Questions
Is smoking actually becoming popular again?
Yes. Data from public health reports and national statistics agencies indicate rising nicotine consumption and an increase in tobacco imagery across television, streaming, and music videos.
Why are young people starting to smoke or vape?
According to public health advocates cited by the Guardian, peer influence and pervasive cultural depictions of smoking as sophisticated or rebellious heavily drive the trend among younger demographics.
What do health authorities say about smokeless products?
The HSE explicitly warns that smokeless nicotine products are not harm-free, have no health benefits, and advise anyone who does not smoke not to start using nicotine products.
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