Historical films and TV depict smoking — not its harmful health impacts

Despite long-established research that on-screen smoking influences young people to use tobacco products, cigarettes remain a popular prop in historical films and TV shows with many portrayals failing to show the harmful health impacts. Peer-reviewed research from Truth Initiative demonstrates that exposure to smoking imagery in streaming shows can triple a young person’s odds of starting to use e-cigarettes. In addition, youth e-cigarette use remains a public health threat, with more than 2 million middle and high school students using these products, according to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

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What is Zyn and what are oral nicotine pouches?

With cigarette smoking on the decline, tobacco companies have shifted focus to “smokeless” tobacco products, including oral nicotine pouches. The pouches are sometimes referred to as a "lip pillow" or "upper decky" because of where they are placed between the lip and gum, often under the upper lip. Pouch brands such as Zyn, On!, and Velo have gained popularity in recent years, and during this period sales of nicotine pouch products containing a higher concentration of nicotine (8 mg) increased more rapidly than products with lower nicotine concentrations (e.g., 4 mg and 6 mg).

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