Smoking Making a Comeback in Younger Audiences
Is smoking the “it” thing now? It seems that the habit has made its way back to the pockets, bags, and overall lifestyles of Gen Z. For a long time, cigarette smoking was part of a moody subculture. Whether lit in the back of a David Lynch film or seen on some edgy person outside a club. A lit cigarette meant something cool, angsty, and noir. Then the sentiment and public consensus made it clear that smoking was a no-go. So what’s happened from then to now?
Most point out that there is a clear connection to pop culture and celebrities. Whether it be in movies like “The Worst Person in the World” or music movements like “Brat,” it seems like celebrities and social figures aren’t hiding this so-called “bad” habit. In 2020, cigarette sales went up drastically from years prior; although not as significant as prime years of sales, it was clear that teens were making a shift from vapes to traditional cigarettes.
Charli XCX, Jenna Ortega, Kylie Jenner, and so many more are spearheads in what the media calls the “cigfluencer” movement, or famous people who make smoking look cool and fun. Culture has been cyclical; as trends return and fads go, whether middle-aged or a teenager we often see things from our youth returning back to us again and again. It seems like smoking cigarettes is so different from a 1950s norm, to an angsty 90s trend, and now back to 2026.
Although youth smoking rates have been on a steady decline since the 2000’s, you can’t help but ask what makes it much more common to see now? After lengthy years of anti-smoking campaigns, DARE programs in classrooms, and known statistics on smoking’s connection to lung cancer and other respiratory issues, it seems like the ick that something once gave has now become its “it” factor.
“I feel like smoking is cool in a way. I personally don’t participate in it, but I think it just looks so nonchalant and cool. It feels mysterious and intimate. I can understand why people do it,” said senior Dayami Suazo.
With cigarettes gaining popularity and social appeal in young audiences, it’s not just that Gen Z is just picking up an old habit from the past but it’s the fact that they are being introduced to it in various forms. On social media feeds, you cannot escape the image of a lit cigarette in paparazzi pictures, in music videos, as fashion accessories, or party favors.
In a survey conducted by Truth Initiative, an organization that encourages the fight against nicotine addiction, it explains that the share of 18- to 24-year-olds who said, “smoking makes people look cool,” increased from 17% to 25%. Along with, 18- to 24-year-olds sharing that “smoking helps people fit in,” increased from 14% to 21%. So it is not crazy to say that cigarettes have made an impact on the minds of Gen Z.
Cigarettes are not just a rolled paper full of nicotine and tobacco; they are a social signal to many. In a generation whose social life has been fundamentally altered, which impacts the way we connect with people, it is easier to say, “ Hey, can I bum a cigarette?” rather than just cold approaching someone in conversation.
“I truly believe that the only generous people out there anymore are smokers. I’ve never been turned down when asking, and I have never turned down someone who has asked for a smoke or a light. It’s not a habit I support, but it’s a community I love,” said long-time smoker John Torres.
The demoralization of cigarettes is raising concerns among many health officials. Dr. Mark J. Eisenberg, the director of the cardiovascular health services research group and cardiac catheterization laboratory at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital, states, Smoking continues to be a major drain on the healthcare system. It continues to be the major modifiable risk factor for coronary disease, emphysema, and lung cancer, for example.”
It is possible that cigarettes are only a trend for the younger generations to cling to for the cool factor. The fact is that cigarettes are addictive and cause major health risks, especially when starting the habit young and continuing long term with addiction. Even if cigarettes appear fashionable and cool, there is no romanticization or coolness to the real consequences of smoking them. The stigma surrounding cigarettes may be changing, but the reality hasn’t.
