Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon don't have the same restrictions as broadcast television, and as a result, they just might be making smoking cool again. A recent study by the anti-tobacco group Truth Initiative has determined that Netflix shows a serious amount of cigarette use.
Yes, Netflix flicks butts at an alarming rate. The streaming network reportedly had 319 "smoking incidents" in its 2015-2016 season, which is a hell of a lot more than the 139 incidents seen on broadcast and cable television.
The worst offender for cig use was also one of Netflix's most popular properties — Stranger Things had an alarming 182 smoking incidents, making it the most nicotine-coated television show of the season.
"We've experienced a pervasive re-emergence of smoking imagery that is glamorizing and re-normalizing a deadly habit to millions of impressionable young people. It has to stop," Truth Initiative CEO Robin Koval said in a statement.
Speaking to Variety, a Netflix spokesperson added, "While streaming entertainment is more popular than ever, we're glad that smoking is not. We're interested to find out more about the study."
Yes, Netflix flicks butts at an alarming rate. The streaming network reportedly had 319 "smoking incidents" in its 2015-2016 season, which is a hell of a lot more than the 139 incidents seen on broadcast and cable television.
The worst offender for cig use was also one of Netflix's most popular properties — Stranger Things had an alarming 182 smoking incidents, making it the most nicotine-coated television show of the season.
"We've experienced a pervasive re-emergence of smoking imagery that is glamorizing and re-normalizing a deadly habit to millions of impressionable young people. It has to stop," Truth Initiative CEO Robin Koval said in a statement.
Speaking to Variety, a Netflix spokesperson added, "While streaming entertainment is more popular than ever, we're glad that smoking is not. We're interested to find out more about the study."
