'Cigfluencers' Are Trying To Make Smoking Sexy. It Is Bad News

Spoiler: Smoking Kills

Augustus Waters reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and held it between his lips. When Hazel Grace Lancaster reprimands him, he says, "You put the killing thing between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing." He called it a "metaphor".

This is one of the earliest scenes in The Fault in Our Stars, a 2014 romantic comedy starring Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley. It's not the only film in the world that has a message against smoking. 

Movies across countries often display the "Smoking is injurious to health" message on the screen every time an actor is shown taking a puff. The Dhurandhar films by Aditya Dhar show the same guideline appear in the bottom right corner, as a footnote, every time an actor lights a cigarette on screen or is seen smoking.

In fact, many models on social media post the same warning if they publish a picture in which they are holding a cigar or a cigarette. Whether it's active or passive, smoking is injurious to health. It has no health benefits that a smoker can use to defend their habit.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who reportedly quit smoking in November 2024, once confessed, "We always know it's not good to smoke. If we can give it up - very good. If we can't give it up - very bad."

However, we are living in 2026, and a few influencers on social media are trying their best to make smoking look "sexy" and "cool". Accounts like Cigfluencers feature a grid filled with actors smoking.

Risks Of Smoking

Explaining why people smoke, a Cleveland Clinic report mentions that it helps them feel

• Relaxed and calm
• Buzzed and energised
• An increased ability to focus on tasks

Smoking is defined as a "social activity", but with no advantages to your health, whether you study long- or short-term effects. It affects the appearance of your skin, nails, organs, tissues, and even your DNA.

Here are the other ways in which smoking impacts you:

• Stains your nails
• Deepens wrinkles
• Damages nerve endings
• Tar coats your gums and tongue
• Damages tooth enamel
• Increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease
• Reduces the ability to taste food
• Tar coats the throat and vocal cords and moves to the lungs
• Increases coughing
• Can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Displaces oxygen from red blood cells
• Causes shortness of breath
• Damages the blood lining
• Increases the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke
• Increases the risk of erectile dysfunction among men
• Leads to brittle bones
• Causes cataracts and vision loss
• Increases the risk of autoimmune diseases
• Affects fertility

What Doctors Have To Say About Cigfluencers Promoting Smoking As A Cool Habit

While influencers have been driving trends, one must consult what actual health experts have to say on subjects related to your health.

Dr Manav Manchanda, Director & Head- Respiratory, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad, told NDTV, "The rise of 'cigfluencers' trying to glamorise smoking is a deeply concerning trend, especially in the age of social media where impressionable audiences consume content rapidly and often without critical thinking.

"By associating smoking with style, confidence, or rebellion, such content normalises a habit that is scientifically proven to be addictive and harmful. It undoes years of public health efforts that aimed to de-normalise tobacco use. What makes this trend more dangerous is its subtlety-viewers may not even realise they are being influenced," he added.

Smoking stains your nails, affects fertility, causes shortness of breath, and increases the risks of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Photo: Freepik

Dr Akshay Budhraja, Senior Consultant & HOD, Respiratory & Sleep Medicine, Aakash Healthcare, said, "This trend can have serious and far-reaching health consequences across all age groups. For youth and children, exposure to such content increases curiosity and the likelihood of early experimentation, which can quickly lead to nicotine addiction. In adults, especially those trying to quit, this kind of glamorisation can trigger relapse and reinforce unhealthy behaviours."

"The ripple effect is alarming - higher addiction rates, increased burden of chronic diseases, and strain on healthcare systems. Moreover, second-hand smoke continues to pose risks to non-smokers, including family members. Public health messaging must evolve to address these modern influences and actively debunk the myths created by such trends," he further told NDTV.

Statutory warning: Smoking is injurious to health; it has been, and it will always be. No amount of swag can change this fact.

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