Brat summer may be over when you’re dealing with how dark it is at 4 p.m., but the concept of being a brat — “a pack of cigarettes and a Bic lighter” — lives on, according to singer Charli XCX.

There’s Rosalia gifting Charli

The risks of smoking are well known; Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, responsible for around 78,000 deaths a year.

General physician and cancer specialist Dr. Misra-Sharp says smoking, even in low amounts, increases the risk of serious diseases such as lung cancer, which has a 90% five-year mortality rate.

Despite this, singers, actors and influencers seem to be making smoking trendy again; cigarettes are making a comeback as an accessory at New York Fashion Week shows earlier this year.

So why are cigarettes becoming a show-off again?

Lucy, a 20-year-old college student, says she recently started smoking because “it’s something everyone does.”

Almost all of his friends smoke, too, and he says it’s more of an aesthetic than a habit.

“I definitely think anyone who tries to be a brat influences people to start smoking because Charli says if you really want to embody that vibe you should smoke a pack of cigarettes.”

Chari XCX isn’t the only celebrity who accidentally became a so-called cigfluencer.

Hundreds of celebrities, including Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan and Anya Taylor-Joy, now have Instagram accounts that share photos of themselves smoking.

Once upon a time, the stereotypical image of a smoker might have been an old, overweight man with rotten teeth, but this image has now been replaced by young, glamorous celebrities pouting mysteriously at the camera with a Marlboro Gold in hand.

The aesthetic of these smoking celebs is reminiscent of the 2000s, when the likes of Kate Moss and Jennifer Anniston stepped out in low-rise jeans and baby T-shirts with a cigarette on their lips.

Journalist Olivia Petter says The cigarette has become a symbol representing our nostalgia for a bygone age of recklessness, frivolity, and hedonism and is making a comeback in popular culture.

Emerald Fennell’s seductive and scandalous thriller Saltburn perfectly encapsulated the mid-2000s and reminded us of a time when smoking indoors was legal.

Not only were there promotional photos for the film featuring Jacob Elordi’s character smoking topless, but smoking was so integral that actor Archie Madekwe (who plays Farleigh) requested smoking lessons because he had never smoked before.

According to the Truth InitiativeNine of the 10 films nominated for the Oscars earlier this year featured the subject of smoking, an anti-smoking health nonprofit said; This figure was higher than the previous year’s seven films.

Some of the biggest songs of 2024 have also featured tobacco images – Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s song Die With A Smile shows Gaga smoking while playing the piano and singing.

Jessica, 26, who works in marketing, says smoking has become “normal again”.

“A few years ago I didn’t know anyone who smoked, but now it seems like everyone is doing it and you forget how bad it is for you.”

A recent estimate from Cancer Research shows that around 350 young people smoke every day in the UK, with around one in 10 15-year-olds saying they smoke sometimes.

However, the number of young people smoking overall is decreasing; official estimates suggest that less than one in 10 young adults in the UK smoke; This is a significant drop from a quarter of 18-24 year olds 12 years ago.

Although the number of young people smoking has decreased, the popularity of electronic cigarettes has increased rapidly; One in seven people aged 18-24 who have never smoked regularly now use e-cigarettes.

Jessica used to vape, but “everyone’s doing it now, it’s not cool anymore,” she says, and it seems the normalcy of vaping is causing some people to switch to cigarettes.

In a recent video posted on TikTok, singer Addison Rae responded to a question about e-cigarettes by saying: “Well, I hate e-cigarettes. Have a smoke!”

US-based doctor James Hook told the BBC he had seen cases of young people starting to smoke after smoking e-cigarettes.

He thinks the glorification of smoking by celebrities means that smoking “gives young people a certain credibility that people who are older than them don’t have to work as hard.”

He adds that many “emulate older people who are considered sophisticated, fashionable or attractive.”

Dr Hook also says a tougher stance on smoking by UK authorities could encourage people to revolt.

“There will always be individuals who challenge the status quo, so it should come as no surprise that banning something only fuels the fire of rebellion and poses a threat to one’s sense of independence.”

The government is planning one of the toughest smoking laws in the world; this legislation will eventually ban the sale of cigarettes in the UK; because the new law will increase the legal age limit at which people can buy cigarettes by one year every year.

With the government intent on stamping out the deadly habit, the resurgence of smoking and cigfluencers may be a temporary trend rather than a permanent cultural shift; especially since its appeal is less about the act itself and more about the aesthetics and aesthetics. the symbolism it represents.