Fans of Netflix shows like Stranger Things rejoice in the binge-worthy content the platform provides. Hits like Orange Is the New Black, House of Cards, and Ozark keep fans flocking back to the platform, but the movies and shows that Netflix produces are about to change slightly. Having recently announced a plan to ban smoking in new programming, Netflix is designing its movies and shows with the well-being of its young viewers in mind.

It’s a bold move on Netflix’s part, but will it work in reducing the number of teens who decide to try smoking?

Netflix’s Move to Ban Smoking in Movies

Stranger Things: Season 3

Netflix recently announced it would remove scenes depicting smoking or e-cigarettes from new commissioned projects that have ratings of TV-14/PG-13 or below. Smoking will only be permitted in these projects if those scenes are included to demonstrate historical or factual accuracy. Projects intended for older audiences will also avoid including smoking unless it’s “essential to the creative vision of the artist” or used for character-defining purposes.

In addition to removing as many smoking scenes as possible, Netflix will begin including smoking indicators in the ratings box that viewers see when they first start a new show.

The announcement has come after criticism of the amount of smoking portrayed in the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things. During seasons one and two of the series, every episode featured scenes including tobacco products. The Truth Initiative released a report detailing tobacco use in TV; according to the report, the number of tobacco inclusions increased from 182 in the first season to 262 in the second season.

Netflix is far from the only streaming platform to include tobacco and smoking depictions in its programming, but it is taking a bold step in announcing its new ban on smoking in commissioned programming going forward.  

How Smoking Footage Affects Viewers

Movies and TV shows that depict scenes of smoking and tobacco use can affect young viewers. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, movies and TV shows often portray smoking as a social norm. Thus, young people who see smoking in the movies and shows that they watch are more likely to try smoking themselves.

Frequent onscreen depictions of smoking significantly increase the chances of youth smoking. The Office of the Surgeon General states that youth who get the most exposure to scenes of onscreen smoking are twice as likely to begin smoking when compared to youth who get the least. While the frequency of smoking scenes has decreased in movies, there are still plenty of opportunities for youth to view smoking in movies and TV.

The Truth Initiative’s report breaks things down further and highlights the impact that smoking scenes can have on youth. The report found that:

• In the 2016-2017 season, 92% of the shows analyzed included tobacco images, which was an increase of 79% when compared to the 2015-2016 season.
• The report analyzed the viewership of the programs, revealing that approximately 28 million young people viewed these programs and were exposed to those images of tobacco.
• When comparing this data to peer-reviewed studies, the report summarizes that this exposure to footage of tobacco in movies and TV is responsible for 37% of young viewers’ decisions to begin smoking.

While it makes sense that period movies, like Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, contain depictions of smoking, tobacco use is also included in movies intended for youth. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn contained numerous scenes of tobacco use, and X-Men: First Class, was categorized as having between 30 and 49 tobacco incidents. Other movies carrying the PG-13 rating, such as Water for Elephants and Rango, had more than 50 tobacco depictions.

The Current State of Smoking in Teens

Smoking is prevalent in teens today. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 2,000 youth age 18 and under try smoking for the first time each day. Additionally, every day over 300 youth become daily cigarette smokers. If youth smoking rates continue at their current levels, then 5.6 million youth currently aged 18 and under are predicted to die early from an illness related to smoking.

The use of vaping and e-cigarettes is also on the rise in teens. According to studies by the University of Southern California, teens who wouldn’t have otherwise tried cigarettes are smoking e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are often viewed as a less dangerous alternative to traditional cigarettes, but teens who use e-cigarettes are also more likely to start using other tobacco products, including traditional cigarettes. The long-term effects of e-cigarette use haven’t yet been studied.

We do know that long-term cigarette use can lead to serious health issues, including asthma, lung disease, cancer, and erectile dysfunction in men. Because e-cigarettes work as a gateway to traditional cigarettes, they should be considered just as dangerous for youth as traditional tobacco products.

When we consider how smoking is depicted in movies, it’s easy to understand why youth may be influenced to smoke based on what they see on the big screen. A study of the top 100 grossing films in 2002 found that, of 453 smoking incidents, 92% had no consequences, even when children were the ones smoking. The characters who did smoke were often leading characters, and tended to be mature, white, male characters.

Continuing to educate youth about the dangers of cigarettes and focusing on removing cigarettes from the media can help to reduce the number of youth who start smoking cigarettes. With Netflix leading the way with its ban on smoking in its commissioned productions, we may see fewer teens turn to smoking as a result. Hopefully, additional production companies will follow suit.