This is a Real Drag

Smoking is back. That’s definitely true in movies and TV series, where the cigarette has returned as the most omnipresent prop. It’s true in the pages of magazines. And it’s increasingly true when it comes to celebrity culture. The somewhat surprising return of cigarettes to pop culture is having a big impact on real life. And I’m not just blowing smoke. “Among 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed by Truth Initiative, a nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction, 25% said ‘smoking makes people look cool’ in 2026, up from 17% in 2019. Nearly half — 47% — said ‘it is not a big deal if my friends smoke,’ compared with 38% seven years earlier. And 21% associated smoking with fitting in, up from 14% in 2017. The swing was even more pronounced among younger teens: In 2026, 21% of 15 to 17-year-olds agreed that smoking helps people fit in, up from 4% in 2017.” Is smoking cool again? New data suggests some young people are warming to the idea.