The new report from the Truth Initiative found that more than half of 2024’s top films featured tobacco imagery, an increase of 10 percentage points from the previous year. 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), 34% included tobacco imagery.
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.
The report 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.