There’s Soon To Be A New UK Smoking Ban, So Why Is Everyone Smoking Again?
In less than six months, new UK rules around smoking and buying tobacco will come into play, ensuring younger generations will never be able to purchase cigarettes legally. So why is everyone suddenly smoking again? From Charli XCX and Madonna’s very public cigarette break at the Saint Laurent show to Dua Lipa’s penchant for a Marlboro Gold – and even mumfluencers boasting about their secret nicotine habits – smoking is mainstream once more. The Handbook’s Astrid Carter takes a look at the trend…
When did the trend start?
Fashion and film have always flirted with the aesthetic of smoking, but for a while, it felt like we were deep in the trenches of a wellness revolution. Deliciously Ella smoothie bowls, “Clean Girl” routines, gratitude journals, and Joe Wicks jumping around on the telly were the norm for a good few years.
Then came 2024, Charli XCX’s Brat Summer, and an unofficial sponsorship by a pack of cigs and a Bic lighter. Suddenly, BAM! The art of smoking was back. Now, I’m not attributing the grand rebrand of the cigarette entirely to Charli. Still, that summer was definitely the gateway to making a long, slow puff on a Marlboro feel normal again.
Who else is doing it?
Since then, smoking has become completely normalised in the celeb world. I could name-check countless stars who’ve been papped having a quick break – think Jeremy Allen White channelling James Dean in a white tee, or Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams sharing a pavement cig post-dinner. Even if you don’t condone it, there’s something oddly refreshing about seeing proper A-listers doing something so ordinary and messy without giving a damn.
Smoking has become normalised once again. I could name-check countless stars who’ve been papped having a quick break.
We’ve watched former quitters relapse in style, like Alexa Chung accessorising her chartreuse JW Anderson for Dior gown with a fag at the Met Gala. Meanwhile, stars like Dua Lipa, Madonna, and Connor Storrie are happily being photographed puffing away – or even posting the evidence on their own grids. It begs the question: is it all performative? Are celebs smoking again simply because it looks good?
Then came 2024, Charli XCX’s Brat Summer, and an unofficial sponsorship by a pack of cigs and a Bic lighter. Suddenly, BAM! The art of smoking was back.
The wider smoking area…
It isn’t just Hollywood puffing away, either. Lately, my feed has been full of mumfluencers boasting – or quietly hinting – about a cheeky cig after two glasses of wine. It’s a wild contrast: women who would be utterly horrified if they caught their own teenagers smoking are now happily romanticising it on their personal channels. There’s a strange hypocrisy to it, marking a definite shift in what people consider acceptable when it comes to social smoking. And let’s face it, in this weird social media panopticon that we now live in, something is fascinating about seeing people doing things they shouldn’t.
The trend has officially trickled down to everyday culture, too. At weddings, I’ve seen personalised matchboxes and cigarette towers as party favours for guests to tuck into once the speeches are out of the way. Birthday cakes with retro, cherry-topped decor and edible half-smoked butts and ash scattered across the icing (an irreverent, naughty vibe I have to admit I kind of love – even if it is just cake. And then, at the most tame end of the spectrum, the cool girl party pose: posing with a lit cake candle held like a cigarette, paired with dark sunglasses and a tiara.
It’s almost a childlike play on the cigarette comeback, but it taps right back into the same idea: smoking feels cool.
So, does it actually look cool?
There’s no denying that some of pop culture’s most iconic images feature a cigarette. Throughout the 20th century, smoking was deeply intertwined with Hollywood glamour, political power, and counterculture rebellion. Whether it was a windswept Brigitte Bardot, a brooding James Dean, or Audrey Hepburn in a Givenchy LBD holding a 10-inch cigarette holder, those photos defined their eras.
And in film – even if you detest smoking in real life – you have to admit it brings magic to the screen. Far more than just a prop, smoke creates mood, movement, interesting lighting and visual texture. From the rebel without a cause to the femme fatale, it’s a cinematic trope the movies return to time and time again.
So why now?
There is definitely an element of kickback against the ultra-stylised, hyper-polished lifestyles we’ve been fed on Instagram for years. It’s been roughly a decade since the peak of the mid-2010s Indie Sleaze movement – an era fueled by heavy smudged eyeliner, tea dresses, coquettish posing, and cigarettes dangling from mouths.
It’s the age-old case of nostalgia becoming cool, and the trend rearing its head, however ugly, once again. A survey by Haypp revealed that nearly 38% of young adults (aged 25–34) in the UK now view smoking as “cool” or “back in fashion,” compared to a tiny 4% of over-55s.
Then there’s the issue of vapes. You don’t have to be a killjoy to realise the marketing behind them has gotten out of hand. With flavours like Cotton Candy and Watermelon Crush, they are essentially cigarettes disguised as children’s sweets wrapped in neon-coloured Lost Mary casing. When the alternative to something so problematic is a literal cigarette, you know things have gone a bit wrong.
What’s about to change?
On a more serious note, the legal landscape surrounding smoking and tobacco products is about to undergo a dramatic shift. From 1st January 2027, it will be illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under 18. The legal framework will raise the age of sale by one year every single year, ensuring that future generations can never legally purchase cigarettes.
Self-certified cigfluencers who already enjoy a cheeky smoke can rest easy – if you are already old enough to buy tobacco, you won’t lose the right to purchase it. However, the playing field will look entirely different, and it will be fascinating to see how people react as the drip-feed ban slowly takes hold.
The legal landscape surrounding smoking and tobacco products is about to undergo a dramatic shift. From 1st January 2027, it will be illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under 18.
The verdict…
We all know the risks – 94% of UK adults recognise smoking as a primary cause of cancer, and its link to at least 16 different types of the disease is well-documented. While public attitudes toward smoking have shifted considerably over the last two decades, this latest surge feels distinct. It feels less like a 20-a-day addiction and more like a social accessory – a weekend prop used for a night out.
Is it just our relentless impulse to aestheticise every corner of our lives, or a genuine backlash against over-filtered social media feeds? Time will tell, but as strict new bans roll out, our current obsession with the cigarette might finally start to wane.
For information on how to stop smoking, visit NHS.uk
