Celebrities on social media fueling vaping among young people

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — After decades of warnings that smoking can kill you, there’s a disturbing trend among young people that’s fueled by celebrities and it’s something parents need to be aware of.

KDKA’s John Shumway takes a look at young people and smoking and vaping. 

There’s some good news and some bad news, so let’s start with an encouraging word.

“Smoking among young people is at the lowest levels, ever about 2% for cigarette smoking,” said Robin Koval, President and CEO of Truth Initiatives.

Koval says that vaping, however, is another story. 

“It’s 14.1% in one recent survey, and actually up a little bit from the last year,” Koval said. “So the issue of young people and tobacco and nicotine is still one that is very, very much of concern.”

And that increase is being driven in part by celebrity images like those on social media and in movies.

“It really normalizes all of these negative behaviors like smoking, drinking, and substance use,” said Sara Banks, Clinical Director of the Cranberry Psychological Center.

Banks says it easily attracts the adolescent to the dangerous habit. 

“People are still picking it up because it’s being glamorized in celebrities,” Banks said.

And the puffing is showing up in shows like Stranger Things, among others.

“There wasn’t one series of stranger things where somebody wasn’t smoking, not one,” Banks said.

Koval says that it’s unnecessary and dangerous. 

“When young people see smoking imagery in streaming television, for instance, they’re 3 times more likely to start vaping,” Koval said.

You don’t have to look hard to find the smoking and vaping images on Instagram and TikTok and there’s plenty there and it starts right in the wheelhouse of young people.

Locally here in Pennsylvania, metrics are slightly above the national average in both cigarette and vape usage. 

When it comes to ways that parents can help their kids stay away from the habit, here are a few suggestions from the experts.

Banks says to remember that you’re fighting peer pressure, so encourage them to immerse themselves in the right friend group.

She also suggests pointing out things how it’s going to give you wrinkles, make you smell bad, and make you less attractive to the other gender.