Tobacco Imagery in Movies Surged in 2024, Exposing Millions of Young People to Smoking and Vaping on Screens

New report from NORC at the University of Chicago in collaboration with Truth Initiative finds more than half of top 2024 films featured tobacco imagery, continuing a troubling rise that threatens youth prevention and quitting efforts

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As families head to the theaters or cozy up for a movie night this holiday season, a new report raises alarm about the entertainment industry's ongoing role in normalizing nicotine use among youth and young adults through tobacco imagery in movies.

The new report from NORC at the University of Chicago in collaboration with Truth Initiative reveals that more than half of 2024's top films featured tobacco imagery — a 10-percentage point increase from the previous year. This continued troubling rise in tobacco use on screen threatens to undo years of progress in driving down tobacco use and undermines quitting efforts for those already addicted to nicotine.

The Tobacco in Films: 2024 report found that 51% of the top 152 box office films contained tobacco imagery, up from 41% in 2023, with a 43% surge in total tobacco incidents (2,858 in 2024 versus 1,989 in 2023). Among films rated appropriate for youth (G, PG, and PG-13), more than one in three (34%) included tobacco imagery, continuing a troubling trend of exposure among younger audiences.

According to the report, studios outside of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) were responsible for the majority of tobacco depictions, with companies such as Amazon, A24, and other independent distributors driving the surge. In 2024, non-MPA studios released 69 films featuring tobacco use, compared with eight movies from MPA member studios— including Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, and Paramount. Films with tobacco imagery in the report include A Complete Unknown (183 tobacco incidents), Back to Black (94), and Saturday Night (84), alongside youth-rated films such as Howl's Moving Castle (83) and Thelma (77).

"Our findings reveal a resurgence of tobacco use on screen, particularly in films that reach young people," said Sherry Emery, director of NORC's Social Data Collaboratory.. "Research shows when tobacco use appears in popular movies, it normalizes behaviors that put youth at risk for nicotine addiction."

While national survey data indicate tobacco use among young people is at its lowest level in a decade, research has shown that when young people see smoking in movies, they are significantly more likely to start smoking themselves. About 2.25 million middle and high school students use some form of tobacco, including 1.6 million who vape. Additionally, nearly 40% of youth e-cigarette users report vaping frequently — demonstrating clear signs of persistent nicotine dependence. Meanwhile, oral nicotine pouch use among high school students nearly doubled between 2023 and 2024, underscoring a rapidly evolving nicotine landscape.

"Despite years of progress and clear evidence of harm, tobacco imagery continues to appear across popular films," said Dr. Jessica Rath, Senior Vice President of Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute. "We know that exposure to smoking and vaping in entertainment increases the likelihood that young people will start using nicotine. This rise in depictions on screen threatens to reverse hard-won public health gains."

Tobacco Imagery Undermines Quitting Efforts

Beyond the impact on youth initiation, tobacco imagery in movies can also make it harder for those already addicted to nicotine to quit successfully. Research shows that exposure to smoking or vaping on screen can trigger cravings and increase the likelihood of relapse among people trying to quit.

"For someone working hard to quit, seeing a favorite actor light up on screen can be a real setback," Rath explained. "These depictions can trigger cravings and make quitting even more difficult, reinforcing the nicotine addiction so many are fighting to overcome."

To counter these influences, EX Program, developed by Truth Initiative in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, provides personalized support through interactive text messages, web-based quitting tools, and the longest running online quitting community. Research has shown that using EX Program can increase odds of quitting by up to 40%.

A Call for Action and Accountability

Truth Initiative calls on studios, streaming services, and policymakers to take stronger action to curb tobacco depictions in entertainment. Recommendations include:

• Adopting and disclosing anti-tobacco policies: Studios should implement clear rules restricting tobacco in youth-rated content — and make them public. Studios not part of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) released 74% of tobacco-heavy films in 2023 and remain top offenders.
  
  
• Raising awareness among influencers and creators: Public health groups should educate parents, young people, and industry decision makers — including directors, writers, and actors — about how on-screen tobacco drives youth nicotine addiction. Influencers can amplify this message.
  
  
• Supporting actors in saying no: Actors can include "no tobacco" clauses or request tobacco riders to limit harmful depictions. Showrunners should recognize their influence and prioritize health over outdated visual tropes.
  
  
• Enforcing existing laws: Studios must certify that no compensation was exchanged for tobacco depictions and ensure content with smoking does not qualify for tax incentives — as required by federal law since 2009.
  
  
• Provide quitting resources: Entertainment companies should ensure that content featuring tobacco imagery includes pre-roll or end-card messages with tested messaging and quit resources—such as EX Program—to provide viewers with guidance and support.

"We've made tremendous progress in reducing youth tobacco use, but on-screen imagery risks reversing that progress," Rath said. "We need the entertainment industry to be part of the solution — not a source of relapse or recruitment for the next generation of nicotine users."

About the Report

This latest research builds on Truth Initiative's longstanding While You Were Streaming report series, which has led efforts to raise awareness and drive action on the impact of tobacco depictions on screens. Truth Initiative has long been a national leader in monitoring tobacco's presence in pop culture. The Tobacco in Films: 2024 report from NORC in collaboration with Truth Initiative extends this legacy, revealing persistent depictions of tobacco in popular films.

The Tobacco in Films: 2024 report was conducted by analyzing 152 top box office films released in 2024 and survey data from more than 1,000 youth and young adults. The report builds on more than 20 years of Truth Initiative research tracking tobacco imagery across entertainment media.

For more information or to view the full report, visit truthinitiative.org and norc.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative