Smoking in Film and TV: Its Far-Reaching Effects and How We Can Change It

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A bad habit is resurfacing in Tinseltown. According to research at the University of Chicago, 47% of the top 112 films in 2021 featured tobacco. A recent study by Truth Initiative also revealed that 25 million people were exposed to tobacco imagery in top streaming shows. Streaming giant Netflix is a significant contributor – despite having pledged in 2019 to lower depictions of tobacco use, the platform included more portrayals of smoking than Amazon Prime, Disney+, and HBO.

Case in point: The Queen’s Gambit was streamed by 62 million households during its first 28 days of release and featured tobacco in every episode. However, Netflix has also fought issues with the depiction of certain issues in the past and come out on top. So why, despite gradually lowering rates of cigarette sales, does smoking appear to be making an onscreen comeback?

Smoking in pop culture

In Old Hollywood, smoking was a coy way to signal to the audience that sex had just transpired. In today’s modern TV shows and films, which often tell stories of decades past, tobacco use almost becomes an inextricable aspect of the plot, providing historical accuracy and harkening back to a time before stringent smoking restrictions in indoor spaces. Stranger Things, set in the cigarette heyday of the 1980s, depicted a shocking 721 tobacco depictions in 2020 alone. In Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy recreated a portrait of J. Robert Oppenheimer with a cigarette in his mouth; the scientist would chain smoke 100 cigarettes a day in real life. In the latest Scorsese hit, Killers of the Flower Moon, not only do the main characters smoke constantly throughout, but a cigarette company even features prominently in the film’s ending scene. Constant exposure can have various effects on audiences, including the normalization of smoking.

How this affects audiences

Research has shown that seeing smoking in movies is connected to actual smoking behavior. In a study of over 400 smokers and non-smokers aged 18 to 25, the respondents’ likelihood of smoking increased by 11% for every 100-incident increase in exposure to smoking incidents in top American box office movies. Another study published in the Journal of Neuroscience had participants watch smoking depictions while in an MRI machine. The scans revealed that, for smokers, watching these scenes activated the part of the brain that plans hand movements, as if getting ready to light up themselves. Given the established influence of films and TV on smoking prevalence, is there a way to harness that influence to achieve the opposite?

What can be done about it

Hollywood could play a great role in discouraging smoking; the live-action Cruella did away with the titular character’s iconic cigarette holder, which did not affect the plot. The industry could take things a step further and potentially introduce quit tools to those who may be unfamiliar. Take the case of alternative nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, which are tobacco-free and can be enjoyed discreetly for up to an hour. Popular brands include ZYN and On!, which are on the rise across the country. Indeed, ZYN pouches are perhaps the most recognizable brand, coming traditionally in 3 mg and 6 mg strengths and a range of flavors. These could be used by a character depicted to be on a smoking cessation journey, with the flavors perhaps even a plot point, such as coffee for a coffee house scene.

Another alternative is nicotine lozenges. Perrigo’s Nicotine-Coated Mint Lozenges come in 2 mg or 4 mg strengths to help reduce withdrawal symptoms for those trying to quit smoking. Lozenges were used for a comedic scene in the film Johnny English, proving their viability as plot devices. These new products present an exciting challenge for filmmakers depicting modern nicotine consumption.

Industry-wide action is needed so that TV and movies do not normalize or glamorize smoking, which can lead to addiction and adverse health outcomes. It is time for the world’s biggest entertainment companies to go beyond pledges and commit to bans on smoking depictions instead. Even the elimination of one source of exposure to tobacco behavior could go a long way in mitigating smoking habits among audiences.