Smoking and vaping making an on-screen comeback
From Oscar-winning movies to top streaming shows and popular music videos, Big Tobacco and Big Vape shamelessly exert their influence.
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Start the quizOf the ten films nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, only one does not feature smoking, as revealed by the Truth Initiative’s sixth annual analysis of tobacco imagery in top entertainment.
This analysis highlights a surge in on-screen tobacco use across various media, including streaming shows popular among 15- to 24-year-olds, music videos, and both youth-rated and Oscar-nominated movies.
Lights, camera, tobacco!
The prevalence of on-screen smoking, often depicted as glamorous and appealing, is increasing despite longstanding research indicating its role in initiating tobacco product use among youth.
This conclusion, first established over a decade ago in a 2012 US Surgeon General report, remains relevant today. Moreover, studies conducted by the Truth Initiative reveal that exposure to smoking imagery in streaming shows significantly escalates the likelihood of young individuals initiating use of vapes, which is currently the predominant tobacco product among youth.
Substantial number of tobacco depictions in Billboard’s Top Songs
It’s not just movies that are experiencing this trend, compared to 2021, there’s been a significant rise in smoking and vaping in music videos, with twice as many videos featuring tobacco in 2022.
These videos, viewed billions of times on platforms like YouTube, perpetuate the presence of tobacco in media popular among youth.
As mentioned, research shows a strong correlation between on-screen tobacco depictions and youth tobacco use, including vaping. This trend persists despite known risks, as evidenced by the dramatic increase in depictions from 2021 to 2022.
The analysis of Billboard’s top songs for 2022 reveals a substantial number of tobacco depictions in music videos, with particular prevalence in genres like Hot R&B/Hip-Hop.
Cigarettes remain the most depicted tobacco product, but e-cigarettes are increasingly featured.
Social media platforms are major sources of exposure to tobacco imagery for young people. Yet, there’s limited regulation or age restrictions, making it easier for youth to access such content.
Can the situation be reversed?
To combat this issue, the Truth Initiative recommends various measures, including stricter policies to limit tobacco depictions in youth-rated entertainment, integrating anti-smoking messages in content that does feature tobacco, and empowering actors to reject on-screen tobacco use in youth-rated media.
Moreover, there’s a call for increased awareness among decision-makers in the entertainment industry about the influence of tobacco imagery on young audiences.
Additionally, there’s a need to modernise ratings systems and parental controls to better address the risks associated with on-screen tobacco use.
Overall, urgent action is needed to mitigate the impact of tobacco imagery in media on youth tobacco and vaping rates.
John Dicey, Global CEO, Allen Carr’s Easyway comments,
“I am extremely grateful for the work The Truth Initiative undertakes in monitoring trends such as the prevalence of smoking or vaping in movies, TV shows, and music videos. It seems that the entertainment industry has an almost wilful determination to include smoking and vaping in its products and more pressure to prevent it should be applied”.
Further reading
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