United States: Study warns of worrying presence of tobacco in series most watched by young people

The latest report from the Truth Initiative, entitled Lights, Camera, Addiction, highlights the continued strong presence of smoking in popular content on streaming platforms. The study, which is based on the analysis of 15 series popular with young people aged 15 to 24 in the United States, shows that 13 of them contain scenes of tobacco and vaping product consumption. This finding raises serious concerns about the influence of these representations on young people's behavior, given that tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in the world.

The products analyzed in the study include traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. In 99% of cases where a nicotine consumption scene was observed, it involved a tobacco product, confirming the predominance of these products in cultural representations. Vaping devices, on the other hand, only account for less than 1% of the nicotine products observed on screen.[1].

Massive exposure in the most popular series

Despite an overall decline in the number of scenes involving tobacco products in popular series—from 890 in 2022 to 252 in 2023—the phenomenon remains a concern. In 2023, nearly half (7 out of 15) of the most-watched series among 15- to 24-year-olds in the United States featured scenes of tobacco use. This proportion reveals a persistence of tobacco imagery in programs heavily consumed by young people, contributing to regular and normalized exposure.

The series in question are all regulars in the ranking established by Truth Initiative: American Dad, Big Mouth, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, Riverdale, The Simpsons And Young SheldonAll but one of these were already included in previous reports, highlighting the recurrence and resistance of audiovisual content authors to eliminating these representations.

Among them, the animated series The Simpsons comes in first with 101 consumption scenes, despite a decrease from 2022, when it had 195. Next come Family Guy (54), Young Sheldon (50) or even Riverdale (26). These figures reveal a significant concentration of tobacco scenes in a small number of iconic series.

Another notable trend: animated series are particularly affected, with five of the six most-watched animated programs in 2023 containing tobacco. These series—although labeled for mature audiences—are overwhelmingly viewed by young people, often in the absence of parental controls on streaming platforms. According to a YPulse study cited in the report, animated content is more popular among Generation Z than any other age group.

The fact that these series are easily accessible on platforms like Disney+ or Netflix increases the risk of exposure. For example, the series The Simpsons, broadcast on Disney+, indirectly exposes millions of young people to scenes of smoking, in contradiction with the group's official policy which prohibits the representation of tobacco in its original productions.

Thus, young people's favorite content continues to convey images of tobacco consumption on a large scale, contributing to the trivialization of a behavior that is nevertheless responsible for more than eight million premature deaths per year worldwide, recalls Truth.

Binge-watched series, a reinforced vector of exposure

Binge-watching—watching multiple episodes of a series in a single session—has become a dominant practice, particularly among 18- to 39-year-olds. This consumption pattern, which has become commonplace with the rise of streaming platforms, increases young people's exposure to tobacco imagery by concentrating consumption scenes over a short, intensive period of time. A dose-response relationship has indeed been demonstrated in several studies: the more a young person is exposed to smoking scenes, the more likely they are to use tobacco or vape in the future. Alarmingly, new research from the Truth Initiative indicates that young people exposed to more tobacco imagery through binge-watching report increased intentions to smoke or vape.[2].

According to the Truth Initiative study, the share of the most binge-watched series containing tobacco increased from 64% in 2022 to 70% in 2023. This increase reflects not only the persistence of the phenomenon, but also its anchoring in the cultural habits of young audiences.

Among the most binge-watched series in 2023 are: Jujutsu Kaisen (181 tobacco scenes), The Simpsons (101), All American (60), South Park, Riverdale, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Last of Us, or even Young Sheldon And One Piece. Some, like SpongeBob SquarePants, are aimed at a very young audience (Y7 classification), which raises serious concerns regarding the protection of minors. Others, such as Jujutsu Kaisen, although rated for an adult audience, are a huge success with Generation Z: more than two-thirds (68.8 %) of the series' viewers are aged 13 to 22, according to Parrot Analytics.

Beyond the content itself, the form of viewing increases vulnerability: long sessions can reinforce feelings of isolation, stress, or anxiety. Nicotine is known to intensify these symptoms and have a lasting impact on adolescent brain development, making the combination of binge-watching and tobacco all the more concerning from a health perspective.

Cinema and music: powerful vectors for the normalization of tobacco

Far from being limited to TV series, the trivialization of tobacco also extends to cinema and the world of music, two major cultural spheres in the lives of young people. The report shows a worrying increase in scenes of tobacco consumption in recent films and the most popular music videos.

In terms of cinema, 41 of the most-watched films in 2023 contained tobacco, compared to 35 in 2022. The total number of incidents recorded jumped by 70, reaching nearly 2,000 scenes in 141 films analyzed. This trend marks a reversal after several years of decline. Exposure is all the more problematic given that these films are viewed in massive numbers: approximately 283 million viewers were exposed to them in theaters, and nearly 30 million young people via streaming platforms.

Among the most emblematic cases, eight of the 10 films nominated for the 2025 Oscar for Best Picture featured tobacco, including those featuring cultural icons like Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez, and Mikey Madison. The prestige associated with these works helps amplify the reach of tobacco representations, giving them a form of legitimacy and appeal, says Truth.

So-called "legacy" films, that is, reissued classics or works depicting historical figures, are also singled out. Although they fall within a specific context, these films alone account for nearly a quarter of the smoking scenes observed, with an average of 54 incidents per PG-13 film (not recommended for children under 13), compared to 6 for contemporary films with the same classification.

In the music world, the trend is also marked: 23 of Billboard's best-selling music videos contain tobacco, representing 212 representations in 2023. These videos, viewed nearly 5 billion times on YouTube, massively expose young people to scenes where smoking becomes a stylized, even glamorized, gesture. The hip-hop genre stands out as the most affected, followed by electro and pop. Artists with large audiences, such as Travis Scott, SZA, and Doechii, are among the most represented in the videos analyzed.

This cross-exposure via movie screens and music platforms reinforces the normalization of tobacco in the collective imagination of young people. It creates an environment where consumption is perceived as banal, even rewarding—a direct counter to public health objectives.

The Truth Initiative emphasizes the role of public authorities, as well as creators, streaming platforms, and influential figures, in combating the normalization of smoking. Collective mobilization is essential to protect younger generations from the influence of nicotine.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Press release, New Report Warnings: Viral Smoking Imagery Could Undermine Youth Prevention Gains, Truth Initiative, published June 30, 2025, accessed July 1, 2025

[2] Bennett M, Hair EC, Liu M, Pitzer L, Rath JM, Vallone DM. Exposure to tobacco content in episodic programs and tobacco and E-cigarette initiation. Prev Med. 2020;139:106169. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106169